Docker on your Mac, before you blink.

Kiri runs Docker containers on your Mac in one small Linux VM through Apple's Virtualization.framework, with one Rust daemon inside it and a native app on top. On M1, M2, M3 and M4 Macs, docker run takes 22 ms.

Download Kiri See the numbers

macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon or Intel. Signed with a Developer ID and notarized.

Measured

The Docker engines for Mac, measured.

Four engines on one Apple silicon Mac, each limited to the same 2 CPUs and 8 GB, driven by the same docker CLI with the same warm images. Medians, lower is better for times.

Measurement	Kiri	Docker Desktop	OrbStack	Colima
`docker run --rm alpine true`	22 ms	178 ms	279 ms	152 ms
`docker exec … true`	15.7 ms	47.7 ms	32.5 ms	36.8 ms
Container lifecycle through the Docker API	3.1 ms	163 ms	238 ms	88 ms
Containers started in parallel	88.9 /s	11.4 /s	8.2 /s	12.9 /s
200 MB out of a container	223 MB/s	45 MB/s	87 MB/s	63 MB/s
Bind mount read, 1 GB	1724 MB/s	1354 MB/s	3240 MB/s	5235 MB/s

2 November 2026, Kiri 0.1.13, Docker Desktop 4.90.0, OrbStack 2.2.4, Colima 0.10.3. Where another engine wins, the table says so: Colima reads bind mounts faster. On Windows Kiri starts a container in 78 ms against Docker Desktop's 491 ms. Method, every row and the caveats: benchmarks.

Mac

Made for the Mac.

Apple silicon first

Built for M-series Macs, with a separate build for Intel Macs.

Intel images too

amd64 images run through Rosetta, and --platform is honoured.

Your containers in Finder

Every container's files appear at ~/Kiri in Finder, always current, read-only.

Lives in the menu bar

The VM's state and your running containers a click away, even with the window closed.

Apps by name, with HTTPS

myapp.kiri.local with a certificate from Kiri's own certificate authority, limited to Kiri's names.

Kind to your battery

A memory balloon hands unused memory back and the VM sleeps after a minute idle.

Side by side

Docker on a Mac: your choices.

Feature	Kiri	Docker Desktop	OrbStack	Colima
Mac	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Windows	Yes	Yes	No	No
Linux	Yes, no VM	In a VM	No	Yes
Free at work	Yes	Paid over 250 staff	Paid	Yes
Open source	Apache 2.0	No	No	MIT
Desktop app	Native	Electron	Native	CLI only
`docker`, Compose, buildx	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Kubernetes	Yes	Yes	Yes	k3s
Public link to a container	Kiri Share	No	No	No
`docker run` on a Mac	22 ms	178 ms	279 ms	152 ms

Docker Desktop needs a paid subscription in companies with more than 250 employees or more than $10 million a year in revenue. OrbStack is free for personal use and paid for work. Checked November 2026; each project's own pages have the current terms.

Switching

Keep your commands. Change the engine.

Install Kiri
On a Mac, the app. On Windows, a per-user installer for WSL2. On Linux, a .deb or .rpm: curl -fsSL https://runkiri.com/install.sh | bash.
Bring your things over
Kiri moves images, volumes and containers over from Docker Desktop or OrbStack, so nothing is rebuilt. Keep the old one installed while you try it.
Run what you always run
```
$ docker compose up
```
Kiri adds a kiri docker context, so the docker CLI, Compose, buildx and your IDE talk to Kiri.

Questions

Asked often.

What is the best way to run Docker on a Mac?

Docker containers on a Mac need a Linux VM, and the engines differ in how fast and light that is. On one Apple silicon Mac Kiri ran docker run in 22 ms, Colima in 152 ms, Docker Desktop in 178 ms and OrbStack in 279 ms.

Does Kiri work on Apple silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4)?

Yes. Kiri is built for Apple silicon on macOS 14 or later, and has a separate build for Intel Macs.

Can I run amd64 images on an Apple silicon Mac?

Yes. Kiri runs amd64 images through Rosetta and honours --platform.

Can I use Docker on a Mac without Docker Desktop?

Yes. Kiri brings its own docker CLI, Compose and buildx and adds a docker context called kiri, so no Docker Desktop is needed.