Incus
6.8#3 in container enginesFree planFree planAPILinuxmacOSSelf-hosted
VisitIncus vs systemd-nspawn
systemd-nspawn
6.0#13 in container enginesFree planFree planLinuxSelf-hosted
VisitWhat both publish
| Fact | Incus | systemd-nspawn |
|---|---|---|
| License | Incus is free software developed under the Apache 2 license. | The systemd repository includes an LGPL 2.1 license file. |
| Purpose | Incus is a system container, application container, and virtual machine manager. | systemd-nspawn runs a command or a full Linux-based operating system in a lightweight namespace container. |
| Security | The project highlights unprivileged containers, resource restrictions, and authentication as security measures. | For untrusted code, the manual says to use a user namespace because the sandbox can be circumvented without one. |
| Support | Community support is available through the Linux Containers forum, and Zabbly provides commercial support for users of its Debian or Ubuntu packages. | The systemd project lists its mailing list, IRC channel, and Matrix channel as support options. |
Incus plans
- IncusFree
systemd-nspawn plans
- systemd-nspawnFree
Pick Incus if…
Incus suits developers and operators managing container or virtual-machine workloads who want shared storage and networking, API access and integration options. Its daemon requires Linux, even though client applications are available on other platforms.
Pick systemd-nspawn if…
systemd-nspawn suits Linux users who need to run commands or operating systems in namespace containers and can work within its privilege and networking limits.