A local Kubernetes cluster in one command.

kiri k8s start gives you a single-node Kubernetes cluster in about 20 seconds, running next to your Docker containers in the same small VM. kubectl works, and Kiri's window shows your pods and services.

Download Kiri See the numbers

No separate VM, no minikube driver to choose, nothing to install beyond Kiri.

Kubernetes

Kubernetes for development, without the setup.

One command each way

kiri k8s start and kiri k8s stop. Stopped, it gives its memory back.

Pods and Services in the window

Kiri's sidebar shows Kubernetes next to Docker, with pods, services and their state.

LoadBalancer on localhost

Every LoadBalancer service gets its port on localhost, so you open it in the browser with no kubectl port-forward.

kubectl as usual

k3s underneath, and a kiri context written into your kubeconfig, so kubectl, Helm and your IDE find it.

Same on Windows and Linux

The same kiri k8s commands on every system Kiri runs on.

Share a service

Any pod or service can get a public HTTPS address with Kiri Share, straight from the window.

Measured

The engine underneath, 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.

Side by side

Local Kubernetes: 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 easiest way to run Kubernetes on a Mac?

With Kiri installed, kiri k8s start gives you a single-node cluster in about 20 seconds, with no separate VM or driver to set up.

Is Kiri an alternative to minikube, kind or k3d?

For local development, yes: one command starts a single-node cluster next to your Docker containers, and kubectl works with it.

Does Kiri's Kubernetes work on Windows and Linux?

Yes. The kiri k8s commands work wherever Kiri runs.

Can I turn Kubernetes off?

Yes. kiri k8s stop stops the cluster and gives its memory back; your Docker containers keep running.