In the world of containerization, Docker has long been the default choice for developers and DevOps teams. Its ease of use, extensive community support, and compatibility with OCI container images made it the go-to engine for years. However, as container technology has matured, new tools have emerged to address some of Docker’s limitations—chief among them, Podman, developed by Red Hat. Podman offers a modern, security-focused, and Kubernetes-friendly approach that makes it a compelling alternative.

One of Podman’s most significant advantages over Docker is its daemonless architecture. Docker relies on a central background service (dockerd) to manage all containers, creating a single point of failure and a potential attack surface. Podman eliminates this by running containers as individual child processes of the user’s shell. This approach improves system stability and allows containers to run without elevated privileges, greatly reducing security risks. Rootless containers—an out-of-the-box feature in Podman—are particularly appealing for organizations operating in sensitive or compliance-heavy environments.

Another reason to migrate is Podman’s native support for pods, a concept borrowed directly from Kubernetes. While Docker primarily focuses on single-container deployments, Podman makes it simple to group multiple containers that share the same network namespace. This design aligns perfectly with Kubernetes deployment patterns, making development-to-production transitions smoother and more predictable. Additionally, Podman is fully OCI-compliant, meaning you can use your existing Docker images without rebuilding them, easing the migration process.

Finally, Podman offers seamless Docker CLI compatibility, which means most of your existing Docker commands will work without modification. You can even alias docker to podman to avoid retraining your team or rewriting scripts. Combined with its enhanced security, Kubernetes alignment, and absence of a central daemon, Podman represents a more modern, robust, and future-proof container engine. For teams looking to increase security, simplify Kubernetes workflows, and reduce operational risks, the case for migrating from Docker to Podman is stronger than ever.