kind vs OrbStack
kind
kind.sigs.k8s.io
OrbStack
orbstack.devSide by side
| Figure | kind | OrbStack |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $8/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 3 |
| Spec score · Container Development Environments | 8.5 (#7) | 8.6 (#6) |
| Installation | The project provides downloadable release binaries and source installation instructions; community-maintained packages are also listed. | The documented installation path is downloading and opening the app or installing it with brew install --cask orbstack. |
| Networking | The documentation covers configuring ingress and Gateway API with cloud-provider-kind, which natively supports both. | Its custom network stack supports IPv6, ping, traceroute, VPN and DNS settings, host networking, port forwarding and direct container IP access. |
| Support | The project directs users to its Kubernetes Slack #kind channel, GitHub issue tracker, and SIG-Testing mailing list for help and issues. | Official support is offered through email, discussions, an issue tracker and a Discord community. |
Plans
In their own words
kind
kind runs local Kubernetes clusters with Docker container nodes, mainly for Kubernetes testing; local development and CI are also listed uses. It bootstraps cluster nodes with kubeadm and supports multi-node setups, including high availability. A configuration file can define worker and control-plane nodes, port mappings, and Kubernetes versions.
The tool can build Kubernetes release builds from source or use pre-published builds. It can detect Docker, Podman, or nerdctl as its container provider, including rootless providers subject to host and provider requirements. Users can load Docker images or an image archive into a cluster. Documentation covers ingress and Gateway API configuration with cloud-provider-kind, private registry workflows, and Kubernetes API audit logging.
OrbStack
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.