Best Container Engines in 2026
Updated
In short: Apptainer is ranked #1 of 31 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Buildah and BuildKit. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Buildah. The lowest first paid tier on this page is LXD at $2.08/mo.
Container engines give developers ways to build and run containerized workloads; the differences can matter across images, runtimes, and host environments. Compare image building and format support alongside runtime interface and Kubernetes CRI, then check rootless mode and support for Windows containers. Supported host OS, free-plan availability, and paid-from pricing add context about where an engine can run and what it costs. The entries start with Podman, containerd, and Moby, followed by LXD and Incus. Use the compared capabilities to weigh how each option aligns with the workloads and systems you have in mind.
31 container engines ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Recognised 40% · Phone app 26% · Documented 20% · Free plan 14% of the score
- 1 Apptainer No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4Free Rootless mode: YesImage building: Yes
- 2 Buildah No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4Free Rootless mode: YesImage building: Yes
- 3 BuildKit No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4Free Rootless mode: YesImage building: Yes
- 4 crun No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4Free Rootless mode: Yes
- 5 Docker Desktop No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4$9/mo Rootless mode: YesImage building: YesKubernetes CRI: Yes
- 6 gVisor No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4Free Rootless mode: YesImage building: YesKubernetes CRI: Yes
- 7 Incus No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4Free Rootless mode: YesImage building: Yes
- 8 LXD No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4$2.08/mo Rootless mode: YesImage building: Yes
- 9 containerd No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free Rootless mode: YesImage building: NoKubernetes CRI: Yes
- 10 Podman No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free Rootless mode: YesImage building: Yes
- 11 Moby No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.8 Rootless mode: YesImage building: Yes
- 12 Kata Containers No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.4 Rootless mode: YesKubernetes CRI: Yes
- 13 runc No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.4 Rootless mode: YesImage building: No
- 14 SingularityCE No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.4 Rootless mode: YesImage building: Yes
- 15 Sysbox No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.4 Rootless mode: YesImage building: Yes
- 16 youki No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.4 Rootless mode: YesImage building: NoKubernetes CRI: No
- 17 AppJail No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Rootless mode: NoImage building: Yes
- 18 Apple container No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Image building: Yes
- 19 balenaEngine No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Image building: Yes
- 20 Charliecloud No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Rootless mode: YesImage building: Yes
- 21 CRI-O No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Image building: NoKubernetes CRI: Yes
- 22 Enroot No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Rootless mode: YesImage building: Yes
- 23 Inclavare Containers No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Kubernetes CRI: Yes
- 24 LXC No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Rootless mode: YesImage building: Yes
- 25 PouchContainer No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Image building: YesKubernetes CRI: Yes
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which container engine is ranked first on Samsung Mobile US Press?
Apptainer is ranked #1 of 31 with a score of 6.4. Buildah is second and BuildKit third.
How many of these have a free plan?
10 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, LXD has the lowest first paid tier we found: $2.08/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.