Kiri is a free Docker Desktop alternative written in Rust

Kiri is a new container runtime for macOS, Windows and Linux. The repository went up on 2 November, has 1,426 stars and 90 forks, and is licensed under Apache 2.0. Its own README says Kiri runs your Docker images and works with the docker CLI, Compose and buildx.

The headline claim is speed. Kiri's own benchmark takes alpine running true and takes the median of 30 runs. It reports Kiri at 2.55 ms through the Docker Engine API and 14.2 ms through the docker CLI. The same test puts Docker Desktop at 213 ms and 243 ms, and OrbStack at 380 ms and 442 ms. The repository calls this about 80 times faster than Docker Desktop. These are the author's figures, from their own test.

What it supports

Kiri runs on macOS 14 and up, on Apple silicon or Intel. It runs on Windows 10 and 11, on x86-64 or on Arm through WSL 2. It runs on Ubuntu, Fedora and other Linux distributions. Installers come as a .dmg, an .msi, or .deb and .rpm packages from runkiri.com.

The runtime brings a few extras. There is a native user interface window for containers, images, volumes and networks. Local domains resolve under .kiri.local with HTTPS. The runtime can start a single-node Kubernetes cluster. The guest kernel is GPL-2.0; the rest of the code is Apache-2.0.

What it costs to try, and what to watch

Docker's own pricing page lists Docker Team at $16 per user per month. The annual plan is $15 per user per month. OrbStack's pricing page lists Pro at $8 per user per month, or $96 per user per year. A free option with the same CLI is a decision a buyer can test on real work.

Two things to watch. The repository is eight days old. Twenty-four open issues and 90 forks show real use already. Bugs will be found fast, and a production CI runner is not the first place to put it. The benchmark is also one small image on one workload. A real build with real volumes and real networking is the honest test.

A working developer who was going to renew a seat can run both side by side this week. Measure the thing you actually do: a cold docker compose up, a cached build, a volume-heavy test run. If the numbers hold up and the Compose files still work, this is a free switch. If a real workload stalls, the paid tool was paying for something you did not see.

Source

• libracoder, kiri on GitHub.
• Kiri homepage and installers: runkiri.com.