Best Container Engines in 2026
Updated
In short: BuildKit is ranked #1 of 31 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Docker Desktop and Apptainer. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Docker Desktop. The lowest first paid tier on this page is LXD at $2.08/mo.
Container engines support building or running containers, with capabilities that can matter differently across development and deployment environments. Compare image building and image format with runtime interface support, Kubernetes CRI, and rootless mode. Supported host operating systems and Windows containers help you assess compatibility; free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add cost context. Podman, Moby, and containerd lead the entries, with Incus and LXD following. Consider the workloads and hosts you have in mind, then weigh the listed runtime and image features against the environment where you plan to use an engine.
31 container engines ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 BuildKit Top pick · 7.3 Free plan · Free
#2 Docker Desktop Runner-up · 7.3 Free plan · $9/mo
#3 Apptainer Also great · 7.2 Free plan · Free- Free plan apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rootless mode
- Yes
- Image building
- Yes
- Windows containers
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rootless mode
- Yes
- Image building
- Yes
- Kubernetes CRI
- Yes
- Windows containers
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$9/mofirst paid tier About Docker DesktopVisit site - Free plan apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rootless mode
- Yes
- Image building
- Yes
- Windows containers
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rootless mode
- Yes
- Image building
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rootless mode
- Yes
- Image building
- Yes
- Windows containers
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan Linuxself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rootless mode
- Yes
- Image building
- No
- Kubernetes CRI
- Yes
- Windows containers
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan Linuxself-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rootless mode
- Yes
- Windows containers
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatformsFree About crunVisit site - Free plan Linuxself-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rootless mode
- Yes
- Image building
- Yes
- Kubernetes CRI
- Yes
- Windows containers
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free planFree trial apiLinuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rootless mode
- Yes
- Image building
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$2.08/mofirst paid tier About LXDVisit site - Free plan apiLinuxself-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rootless mode
- Yes
- Image building
- Yes
- Windows containers
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rootless mode
- Yes
- Image building
- Yes
- Windows containers
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rootless mode
- Yes
- Kubernetes CRI
- Yes
- Windows containers
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Rootless mode
- Yes
- Image building
- Yes
- Kubernetes CRI
- Yes
- Windows containers
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rootless mode
- Yes
- Image building
- No
- Windows containers
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rootless mode
- Yes
- Image building
- Yes
- Windows containers
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rootless mode
- Yes
- Image building
- Yes
- Windows containers
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rootless mode
- Yes
- Image building
- No
- Kubernetes CRI
- No
- Windows containers
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - macOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Image building
- Yes
- Windows containers
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Image building
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rootless mode
- Yes
- Image building
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Image building
- No
- Kubernetes CRI
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rootless mode
- Yes
- Image building
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Kubernetes CRI
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rootless mode
- Yes
- Image building
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Image building
- Yes
- Kubernetes CRI
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which container engine is ranked first on Everything Xiaomi?
BuildKit is ranked #1 of 31 with a score of 7.3. Docker Desktop is second and Apptainer third.
How many of these have a free plan?
10 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, LXD has the lowest first paid tier we found: $2.08/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes: documentation depth, a free tier and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.