OrbStack vs. Colima

OrbStack is a drop-in replacement for Colima that's fast, light, simple, and easy to use. It runs both containers and Linux machines.

Feature comparison

Feature	OrbStack	Colima
🔨 Use Cases
Docker	✅	✅
Linux machines	✅	❌
Command line	✅	✅
GUI	✅	❌
Kubernetes	✅	✅
⚡️ Performance
Fast startup	✅	❌
Fast network	✅	❌
Rosetta x86 emulation	✅	Experimental
🔋 Efficiency
Low CPU usage	✅	❌
Low power usage	✅	❌
Memory on demand	✅	✅
Dynamic memory	❌ macOS bug	❌
Native macOS app	✅	❌ No app
😀 Ease of Use
Minimal setup	✅	❌
Simple UI	✅	❌ No UI
2-way file sharing	✅	❌ 1-way
SSH agent forwarding	✅	❌
No admin required	✅	✅
Auto-update	✅	❌
👾 Network
IPv6	✅	❌
ICMP	✅	❌
VPN compatibility	✅	✅
macOS DNS	✅	Limited
localhost forwarding	✅	✅
HTTP(S) proxy	✅	❌
SOCKS proxy	✅	❌
📦 Containers
Host networking	✅	❌
Bind mounts	✅	✅
Volume file access	✅	❌
Image file access	✅	❌
Container domains	✅	❌
Automatic HTTPS	✅	❌
Extensions	❌	❌
⎈ Kubernetes
NodePort access	✅	✅
ClusterIP access	✅	❌
LoadBalancer IP access	✅	❌
Auto wildcard domains	✅	❌
GUI for pods & services	✅	❌
🐧 Linux
Full Linux distros	✅	❌
SSH	✅	✅
Connect between machines	✅	❌
Fast x86 machines	✅	❌
CLI integration	✅	❌
Run graphical apps	❌	❌

Getting started

Ready to switch? Follow the Quick Start guide to get started.