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Free alternatives to Docker Desktop (Pro)

Swap Docker Desktop (Pro) for Podman Desktop or Rancher Desktop and stop paying $108/yr.

2open source2run on Linux2in Arch/AUR

Prices and project data checked · How we check

$108/yr Pro Verified on docker.com, Oct 17, 2026

2 alternatives

At a glance

Free alternatives to Docker Desktop (Pro) compared
AlternativeLicenseLinuxAURSelf-hostStars
Podman Desktop Apache-2.0 open source Yes Yes No 8.1k★
Rancher Desktop Apache-2.0 open source Yes Yes No 7.4k★

Docker Desktop (Pro) alternatives: questions

Is there a free alternative to Docker Desktop (Pro)?
Yes. The 2 free alternatives are Podman Desktop (open source, Apache-2.0) and Rancher Desktop (open source, Apache-2.0).
How much does Docker Desktop (Pro) cost?
Docker Desktop (Pro)'s Pro plan costs $9 a month, which is $108 a year (per user, yearly ($11 monthly)). Source: the official pricing page at docker.com, checked Oct 17, 2026.
Which Docker Desktop (Pro) alternatives run on Linux?
Podman Desktop (Arch extra: podman-desktop; Flathub: io.podman_desktop.PodmanDesktop) and Rancher Desktop (AUR: rancher-desktop).
Can you self-host a Docker Desktop (Pro) alternative?
Podman Desktop and Rancher Desktop are desktop apps that run on your own machine, so there's nothing to host.
Are these Docker Desktop (Pro) alternatives open source?
Yes. All 2 use OSI-approved open-source licenses: Podman Desktop (Apache-2.0) and Rancher Desktop (Apache-2.0).

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