firecracker-containerd vs OrbStack

firecracker-containerd lets containerd manage containers as Firecracker microVMs, adding isolation through the KVM hypervisor. Potential uses include sandboxing untrusted third-party containers and bin-packing different workloads on multi-tenant hosts. It uses OCI image format where possible. The project includes a control plugin and API, an out-of-process shim runtime, an agent inside the microVM, and a root filesystem image builder. That agent invokes runC through containerd-shim-runc-v1 to create Linux containers inside the microVM. Networking supports pre-created tap devices and tap devices created by CNI plugins such as bridge, ptp, host-local, firewall, and tc-redirect-tap. The software is free under Apache 2.0. Hosts require Linux 4.14 or later, Intel x86_64, and KVM; AMD and Arm are not supported. Building requires git, gcc, Docker CE, and Go 1.23 or later. The guide describes the project as very early, and multi-tenant use is at the user’s own risk.

OrbStack is a macOS app for running Docker containers and Linux machines. It can also run a lightweight, single-node Kubernetes cluster for local development, with a GUI and network integration. The maker says it starts in two seconds and uses optimized networking, file systems, and x86 emulation. Docker CLI, Compose, Earthly, and VS Code Dev Containers work with OrbStack. Linux machines integrate with macOS networking and file sharing, and support SSH agent forwarding and remote VS Code. OrbStack requires macOS 14.0 or later. Personal, non-commercial use is free; freelance, business, and commercial users need a license for each user, with up to five devices covered per user. Pro costs $8/user/mo, billed as $96 annually, and adds Debug Shell and priority support. Enterprise lists SAML SSO and invoice and PO payments, with no price listed. A trial is available without a card, and the FAQ gives users a 30-day grace period to purchase a license. Linux graphical apps and GPU are listed as unsupported.