OrbStack vs Podman Desktop
A data comparison of two DevOps tools for macOS. Figures come from Homebrew metadata and 30-day install analytics; this page does not contain subjective reviews.
Bottom line: Choose OrbStack for a larger user base (20,787 vs 2,470 installs in 30 days), which usually means more tutorials and faster answers.
| OrbStack | Podman Desktop | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | GUI app | GUI app |
| Category | DevOps & Cloud | DevOps & Cloud |
| Open source | Not declared | Yes (inferred) |
| Licence | Not declared | Not declared |
| Apple silicon | Universal | Universal |
| Latest version | 2.2.5,21124 | 1.30.5 |
| Dependencies | 0 | 0 |
| Installs (30 days) | 20,787 | 2,470 |
| Install command | brew install --cask orbstack | brew install --cask podman-desktop |
Which one should you install?
- Choose OrbStack for a larger user base (20,787 vs 2,470 installs in 30 days), which usually means more tutorials and faster answers.
Install either with one command:
How to read this comparison
Only published Homebrew facts are compared: package type, category, licence, architecture, version, dependency count and 30-day install volume. A larger install count means more people install the app through Homebrew; it is not a quality score. Data updated 2026-10-26.