Kiri Rancher Desktop alternative
Free · Apache 2.0 Mac, Windows and Linux
Docker and Kubernetes, without the weight.
Rancher Desktop bundles a VM, containerd or dockerd, k3s and an Electron app. Kiri runs Docker containers and a single-node Kubernetes cluster from one small Rust daemon, with a native window, on Mac, Windows and Linux.
Free and open source under Apache 2.0, like Rancher Desktop. We haven't benchmarked Rancher Desktop yet.
Side by side
Kiri and Rancher Desktop, side by side.
| Feature | Kiri | Rancher Desktop | Docker Desktop | OrbStack |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mac | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Linux | Yes, no VM | Yes | In a VM | No |
| Free at work | Yes | Yes | Paid over 250 staff | Paid |
| Open source | Apache 2.0 | Apache 2.0 | No | No |
| Desktop app | Native | Electron | Electron | Native |
docker, Compose, buildx | Yes | With its dockerd option | Yes | Yes |
| Kubernetes | Yes | k3s | Yes | Yes |
| Public link to a container | Kiri Share | No | No | No |
docker run on a Mac | 22 ms | Not measured yet | 178 ms | 279 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.
Measured
What we've measured so far.
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.
Why Kiri
Kubernetes when you want it, nothing when you don't.
Kubernetes in about 20 seconds
kiri k8s start brings up a single-node cluster, shown in Kiri's window under Pods and Services, and kiri k8s stop gives the memory back.
The real docker CLI
Kiri serves the Docker Engine API, so docker, Compose and buildx work with no nerdctl to learn.
A native window
AppKit on the Mac, Win32 and WebView2 on Windows. No Electron.
Light when idle
The daemon stays at about 15 MB and the VM sleeps after a minute idle.
Linux without a VM
On Linux Kiri runs straight on your kernel.
Bring your things over
Kiri imports images, volumes and containers from Docker Desktop and OrbStack.
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
.debor.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 upKiri adds a
kiridocker context, so thedockerCLI, Compose, buildx and your IDE talk to Kiri.
Questions
Asked often.
What is a good Rancher Desktop alternative?
Kiri gives you Docker containers and a local Kubernetes cluster on Mac, Windows and Linux, free and open source, from one small daemon with a native app.
Does Kiri include Kubernetes?
Yes. kiri k8s start gives you a single-node cluster in about 20 seconds; kubectl and Kiri's window both see it.
Do I need nerdctl with Kiri?
No. Kiri serves the Docker Engine API, so you use the docker CLI, Compose and buildx.
Is Kiri faster than Rancher Desktop?
We haven't measured Rancher Desktop yet, so we don't claim it. Our measured engines are on the benchmarks page.
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