Best Container Engines for Linux of 2025

Kubernetes serves as a powerful foundation for transformative ideas. It enables developers to innovate and deliver projects more rapidly through the premier hybrid cloud and enterprise container solution. Red Hat OpenShift simplifies the process with automated installations, updates, and comprehensive lifecycle management across the entire container ecosystem, encompassing the operating system, Kubernetes, cluster services, and applications on any cloud platform. This service allows teams to operate with speed, flexibility, assurance, and a variety of options. You can code in production mode wherever you prefer to create, enabling a return to meaningful work. Emphasizing security at all stages of the container framework and application lifecycle, Red Hat OpenShift provides robust, long-term enterprise support from a leading contributor to Kubernetes and open-source technology. It is capable of handling the most demanding workloads, including AI/ML, Java, data analytics, databases, and more. Furthermore, it streamlines deployment and lifecycle management through a wide array of technology partners, ensuring that your operational needs are met seamlessly. This integration of capabilities fosters an environment where innovation can thrive without compromise.

Ambassador Edge Stack, a Kubernetes-native API Gateway, provides simplicity, security, and scalability for some of the largest Kubernetes infrastructures in the world. Ambassador Edge Stack makes it easy to secure microservices with a complete set of security functionality including automatic TLS, authentication and rate limiting. WAF integration is also available. Fine-grained access control is also possible. The API Gateway is a Kubernetes-based ingress controller that supports a wide range of protocols, including gRPC, gRPC Web, TLS termination, and traffic management controls to ensure resource availability.

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) offers a range of compute options that are not only speedy and flexible but also cost-effective, catering to various workload requirements, including robust bare metal servers, virtual machines, and efficient containers. OCI Compute stands out by providing exceptionally adaptable VM and bare metal instances that ensure optimal price-performance ratios. Users can tailor the exact number of cores and memory to align with their applications' specific demands, which translates into high performance for enterprise-level tasks. Additionally, the platform simplifies the application development process through serverless computing, allowing users to leverage technologies such as Kubernetes and containerization. For those engaged in machine learning, scientific visualization, or other graphic-intensive tasks, OCI offers NVIDIA GPUs designed for performance. It also includes advanced capabilities like RDMA, high-performance storage options, and network traffic isolation to enhance overall efficiency. With a consistent track record of delivering superior price-performance compared to other cloud services, OCI's virtual machine shapes provide customizable combinations of cores and memory. This flexibility allows customers to further optimize their costs by selecting the precise number of cores needed for their workloads, ensuring they only pay for what they use. Ultimately, OCI empowers organizations to scale and innovate without compromising on performance or budget.

Cloud Foundry simplifies and accelerates the processes of building, testing, deploying, and scaling applications while offering a variety of cloud options, developer frameworks, and application services. As an open-source initiative, it can be accessed through numerous private cloud distributions as well as public cloud services. Featuring a container-based architecture, Cloud Foundry supports applications written in multiple programming languages. You can deploy applications to Cloud Foundry with your current tools and without needing to alter the code. Additionally, CF BOSH allows you to create, deploy, and manage high-availability Kubernetes clusters across any cloud environment. By separating applications from the underlying infrastructure, users have the flexibility to determine the optimal hosting solutions for their workloads—be it on-premises, public clouds, or managed infrastructures—and can relocate these workloads swiftly, typically within minutes, without any modifications to the applications themselves. This level of flexibility enables businesses to adapt quickly to changing needs and optimize resource usage effectively.

Mesos operates on principles similar to those of the Linux kernel, yet it functions at a different abstraction level. This Mesos kernel is deployed on each machine and offers APIs for managing resources and scheduling tasks for applications like Hadoop, Spark, Kafka, and Elasticsearch across entire cloud infrastructures and data centers. It includes native capabilities for launching containers using Docker and AppC images. Additionally, it allows both cloud-native and legacy applications to coexist within the same cluster through customizable scheduling policies. Developers can utilize HTTP APIs to create new distributed applications, manage the cluster, and carry out monitoring tasks. Furthermore, Mesos features an integrated Web UI that allows users to observe the cluster's status and navigate through container sandboxes efficiently. Overall, Mesos provides a versatile and powerful framework for managing diverse workloads in modern computing environments.

Mirantis Kubernetes Engine (formerly Docker Enterprise) gives you the power to build, run, and scale cloud native applications—the way that works for you. Increase developer efficiency and release frequency while reducing cost. Deploy Kubernetes and Swarm clusters out of the box and manage them via API, CLI, or web interface. Kubernetes, Swarm, or both Different apps—and different teams—have different container orchestration needs. Use Kubernetes, Swarm, or both depending on your specific requirements. Simplified cluster management Get up and running right out of the box—then manage clusters easily and apply updates with zero downtime using a simple web UI, CLI, or API. Integrated role-based access control (RBAC) Fine-grained security access control across your platform ensures effective separation of duties, and helps drive a security strategy built on the principle of least privilege. Identity management Easily integrate with your existing identity management solution and enable two-factor authentication to provide peace of mind that only authorized users are accessing your platform. Mirantis Kubernetes Engine works with Mirantis Container Runtime and Mirantis Secure Registry to provide security compliance.

Rkt is an advanced application container engine crafted specifically for contemporary cloud-native environments in production. Its design incorporates a pod-native methodology, a versatile execution environment, and a clearly defined interface, making it exceptionally compatible with other systems. The fundamental execution unit in rkt is the pod, which consists of one or more applications running in a shared context, paralleling the pod concept used in Kubernetes orchestration. Users can customize various configurations, including isolation parameters, at both the pod level and the more detailed per-application level. In rkt, each pod operates directly within the traditional Unix process model, meaning there is no central daemon, allowing for a self-sufficient and isolated environment. Rkt also adopts a contemporary, open standard container format known as the App Container (appc) specification, while retaining the ability to run other container images, such as those generated by Docker. This flexibility and adherence to standards contribute to rkt's growing popularity among developers seeking robust container solutions.

MicroK8s offers a lightweight, low-ops Kubernetes solution tailored for developers working with cloud environments, clusters, workstations, Edge, and IoT devices. It intelligently selects the optimal nodes for the Kubernetes datastore and seamlessly promotes another node if a database node goes offline, ensuring no administrative intervention is required for robust edge deployments. With its compact design and user-friendly defaults, MicroK8s is designed to operate effectively right out of the box, making installation, upgrades, and security management straightforward and efficient. Ideal for micro clouds and edge computing, it provides full enterprise support without a subscription, with the option of 24/7 assistance and a decade of security maintenance. Whether deployed under cell towers, on race cars, in satellites, or within everyday appliances, MicroK8s guarantees the complete Kubernetes experience across IoT and micro clouds. Its fully containerized deployment ensures reliable operations, complemented by compressed over-the-air updates. MicroK8s automatically applies security updates by default, though users can choose to defer them if desired, and upgrading to the latest version of Kubernetes is just a single command away, making the process incredibly simple and hassle-free. This combination of ease of use and robust functionality positions MicroK8s as an invaluable tool for modern developers.

Podman is a container engine that operates without a daemon, designed for the development, management, and execution of OCI Containers on Linux systems. It enables users to run containers in both root and rootless modes, effectively allowing you to think of it as a direct replacement for Docker by using the command alias docker=podman. With Podman, users can manage pods, containers, and container images while offering support for Docker Swarm. We advocate for the use of Kubernetes as the primary standard for creating Pods and orchestrating containers, establishing Kubernetes YAML as the preferred format. Consequently, Podman facilitates the creation and execution of Pods directly from a Kubernetes YAML file through commands like podman-play-kube. Additionally, it can generate Kubernetes YAML configurations from existing containers or Pods using podman-generate-kube, streamlining the workflow from local development to deployment in a production Kubernetes environment. This versatility makes Podman a powerful tool for developers and system administrators alike.

balenaEngine is a specialized container engine designed specifically for embedded systems and IoT applications, utilizing technology from the Moby Project by Docker. It is significantly smaller than Docker CE, boasting a size reduction of 3.5 times and is distributed as a single binary. This engine is compatible with a diverse range of chipset architectures, catering to everything from small IoT devices to larger industrial gateways. It offers bandwidth-efficient updates using binary diffs that can be 10 to 70 times smaller compared to the traditional method of pulling layers in various scenarios. To mitigate excessive disk writing and safeguard against potential storage corruption, it extracts layers as they are received. Additionally, its atomic and durable image pulls ensure protection against incomplete container downloads in case of power interruptions. The design also minimizes page cache thrashing during image pulls, allowing applications to run smoothly even in low-memory environments. In summary, balenaEngine is an innovative solution that not only supports Docker containers but also enhances bandwidth efficiency for container updates. This makes it an ideal choice for developers seeking reliability and efficiency in IoT and embedded systems.

KubeSphere serves as a distributed operating system designed for managing cloud-native applications, utilizing Kubernetes as its core. Its architecture is modular, enabling the easy integration of third-party applications into its framework. KubeSphere stands out as a multi-tenant, enterprise-level, open-source platform for Kubernetes, equipped with comprehensive automated IT operations and efficient DevOps processes. The platform features a user-friendly wizard-driven web interface, which empowers businesses to enhance their Kubernetes environments with essential tools and capabilities necessary for effective enterprise strategies. Recognized as a CNCF-certified Kubernetes platform, it is entirely open-source and thrives on community contributions for ongoing enhancements. KubeSphere can be implemented on pre-existing Kubernetes clusters or Linux servers and offers options for both online and air-gapped installations. This unified platform effectively delivers a range of functionalities, including DevOps support, service mesh integration, observability, application oversight, multi-tenancy, as well as storage and network management solutions, making it a comprehensive choice for organizations looking to optimize their cloud-native operations. Furthermore, KubeSphere's flexibility allows teams to tailor their workflows to meet specific needs, fostering innovation and collaboration throughout the development process.

Experience effortless migration of your existing VM workloads with just one click, enabling seamless application mobility across on-premises and cloud environments. Why limit yourself to a one-directional cloud migration when you can enjoy ongoing mobility? Transition your workloads from on-premises to the cloud, between different cloud providers, or back again with ease. Choose your cloud strategy according to your needs. For effective business continuity, a multi-cloud strategy and application mobility are essential. Say goodbye to protracted and costly VM migration projects; Instashift offers a solution that automates the process at the click of a button. There’s no requirement for complicated techniques—migrate your VMs along with their applications, databases, and states effortlessly. Your applications can enjoy continuous mobility, allowing for quick relocations to the cloud or back to on-premises with a simple click. If you have thousands of VMs to transfer, Instashift provides a seamless automated solution tailored for you. This innovative platform serves sovereign and emerging cloud providers, equipping them with the same capabilities and flexibility that users have come to expect from leading public cloud services, ensuring that you stay ahead in the evolving digital landscape.

The Open Container Initiative (OCI) serves as an open governance framework aimed at developing industry-wide standards for container formats and runtimes. Launched on June 22, 2015, by Docker alongside other prominent figures in the container sector, the OCI encompasses two main specifications: the runtime specification (runtime-spec) and the image specification (image-spec). The runtime specification delineates the process for executing a "filesystem bundle" that has been extracted onto a disk. In practice, an OCI implementation would download an OCI Image, subsequently unpacking it into a corresponding OCI Runtime filesystem bundle. Following this, the OCI Runtime is responsible for executing the OCI Runtime Bundle. Additionally, the OCI operates as a lightweight governance project under the Linux Foundation, promoting transparency and collaboration within the container ecosystem. Its establishment marked a significant step forward towards unifying diverse container technologies and ensuring interoperability across platforms.

runc is a command-line interface utility designed to create and manage containers in accordance with the OCI specification, but it is limited to Linux environments. For compilation, it requires Go version 1.17 or higher, and to activate seccomp features, libseccomp must be installed on your system. The tool offers optional build tags that allow for the inclusion of various functionalities, many of which are activated by default. Currently, runc allows its test suite to be executed through Docker, and simply typing `make test` initiates this process. Although there are additional make targets available for testing outside of a container, this practice is discouraged since the tests assume permission to read and write files freely. You can also specify individual test cases using the TESTFLAGS variable, or focus on a particular integration test with the TESTPATH variable; for rootless integration tests, the ROOTLESS_TESTPATH variable should be used. It’s important to remember that runc serves as a foundational tool rather than one intended for end-user interaction, making it more suitable for developers who need lower-level container management capabilities. Ultimately, understanding its purpose and use cases is essential for effective application.

Cloudfleet provides a Kubernetes experience that spans from datacenters to the cloud and edge, ensuring it meets its intended purpose. With just-in-time infrastructure, automated updates, and sophisticated permissions management, users can effortlessly oversee their clusters through a unified interface. As a comprehensive multi-cloud and hybrid Kubernetes solution, Cloudfleet streamlines the setup of your infrastructure by enabling automatic server provisioning across both on-premises settings and a dozen different cloud service providers, enhancing efficiency and flexibility for your operations. This approach not only minimizes the complexity of managing diverse environments but also empowers users to focus more on their core objectives.

Container-based virtualization for Linux that's open source allows for the deployment of several secure and isolated Linux containers, also referred to as VEs or VPSs, on a single physical machine, which optimizes server utilization while preventing application conflicts. Each of these containers operates and functions just like an independent server; they can be rebooted on their own and possess root access, as well as their own users, IP addresses, memory, processes, files, applications, system libraries, and configuration files. This technology not only enhances efficiency but also provides greater flexibility in managing resources across various applications.

LXD represents a cutting-edge system container manager that provides an experience akin to virtual machines but operates using Linux containers. It features an image-based architecture with a variety of pre-configured images for numerous Linux distributions and is centered around a robust yet straightforward REST API. To better understand LXD and its functionalities, you can explore it online, and if you're interested in deploying it locally, be sure to check out the getting started guide. Established and currently directed by Canonical Ltd, the LXD project benefits from contributions by various organizations and individual developers alike. At its core, LXD consists of a privileged daemon that delivers a REST API via a local UNIX socket and can also be accessed over the network if this option is enabled. Clients, including the command line tool that comes with LXD, interact exclusively through this REST API, ensuring a consistent experience whether you are accessing your local host or a remote server. This design allows for streamlined management and deployment of containers, making LXD a powerful tool in modern software development and deployment.

LXC serves as a user-space interface that harnesses the Linux kernel's containment capabilities. It provides a robust API along with straightforward tools, enabling Linux users to effortlessly create and oversee both system and application containers. Often viewed as a hybrid between a chroot environment and a complete virtual machine, LXC aims to deliver an experience closely resembling a typical Linux installation without necessitating an independent kernel. This makes it an appealing option for developers needing lightweight isolation. As a free software project, the majority of LXC's code is distributed under the GNU LGPLv2.1+ license, while certain components for Android compatibility are available under a standard 2-clause BSD license, and some binaries and templates fall under the GNU GPLv2 license. The stability of LXC's releases is dependent on the various Linux distributions and their dedication to implementing timely fixes and security patches. Consequently, users can rely on the continuous improvement and security of their container environments through active community support.