Pumba
What it is
Pumba is a free, open-source chaos testing and network emulation tool for Docker, containerd, and Podman containers. It can kill, stop, pause, remove, and restart containers, while network experiments can inject delay, packet loss, duplication, corruption, and rate limits through netem or iptables. Its stress command tests CPU, memory, and I/O using stress-ng. Targets can be chosen by name, regular expression, label, or random selection, and experiments can recur at fixed intervals. Pumba supports Docker, Kubernetes, and OpenShift deployment options, including Kubernetes DaemonSets. Linux is the primary platform; macOS binaries drive a remote Linux container VM, and Windows is not supported or planned. The tool is self-hosted and requires privileged access to container runtimes, with guidance to restrict socket access. Released binaries and a GitHub Container Registry image are available, while the Docker Hub image is marked deprecated.
For and against
For
- Supports Docker, containerd, and Podman
- Injects multiple network faults
- Schedules recurring experiments
- Kubernetes and OpenShift deployment options
- Apache License 2.0
Against
- Windows is not supported
- Requires privileged runtime access
- Cloud fault injection is unavailable
- macOS drives a remote Linux VM
The verdict
Pumba offers broad container disruption, network fault, and stress-testing controls without a listed software charge. Its Linux focus, privileged access requirements, and self-hosted deployment make environment planning essential.
Who it suits
Pumba suits teams running self-hosted chaos experiments on Linux container environments. It is relevant for Docker, containerd, Podman, or Kubernetes testing with scheduled and scoped disruptions.
Plans and prices
Pumba
Open-source container chaos testing tool · Apache License 2.0
Read 8 Oct 2026 · github.com
On the record
- Container disruptions
- It can kill, stop, pause, remove, and restart containers.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- The project documents Docker, Kubernetes DaemonSets, and OpenShift deployment options.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Distribution
- Pumba is available as released binaries and a GitHub Container Registry image; its README marks the Docker Hub image as deprecated.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Network testing
- It can inject network delay, packet loss, duplication, corruption, and rate limits using netem or iptables.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Pumba is a chaos testing and network emulation tool for Docker, containerd, and Podman containers.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Runtimes
- Pumba supports Docker, containerd, and Podman, with containerd and Podman-specific socket and privilege requirements.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Security requirements
- Pumba interacts directly with container runtimes and requires privileged access; its security guidance recommends controlled environments and restricting socket access.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Security support
- Security fixes apply only to the latest released minor version, and vulnerabilities should be reported privately through GitHub or to the maintainer.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Security tooling
- The repository says it uses CodeQL, golangci-lint with gosec, and GitHub Actions with least-privilege permissions.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Stress testing
- Its stress command tests CPU, memory, and I/O using stress-ng.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Support
- The README points users to GitHub Issues and a project blog for community support.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Supported platforms
- Linux is the primary target, while macOS binaries are for driving a remote Linux container VM; Windows is not supported or planned.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Targeting and scheduling
- Targets can be selected by names, regular expressions, labels, or randomly, and chaos can recur at fixed intervals.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
