Moving from Docker Desktop to Colima and OrbStack

I did not switch away from Docker Desktop because of one dramatic reason.

The reason was smaller: my laptop used too much memory, container startup felt slow, and I only needed the Docker CLI for most of my work.

So I tried Colima and OrbStack.

Colima

Colima is the clean CLI option. It runs containers through Lima and keeps the Docker commands familiar.

brew install colima docker docker-compose
colima start
docker ps

That is enough for most local container work.

When I need more resources:

colima start --cpu 4 --memory 8 --disk 100

When I need Kubernetes:

colima start --kubernetes

I like Colima when I want something scriptable, free, and close to the normal Docker CLI workflow.

OrbStack

OrbStack feels more like the Mac-native replacement.

brew install orbstack

Open it once, and it configures the Docker CLI.

The part I noticed first was startup time. Containers felt ready faster, and the VM did not sit there eating memory while idle.

It also gives containers local hostnames:

docker run -d --name myapp nginx
curl http://myapp.orb.local

That is useful during development when I do not want to keep mapping ports manually.

Where each one fits

I use OrbStack on my Mac for daily app work. I keep Colima in mind when I want a setup that is easier to explain in scripts or share across machines.

Switching over

For Colima:

brew install colima docker docker-compose
colima start
docker ps

For OrbStack:

brew install orbstack

If you have local images you care about, export them before switching:

docker save myimage:latest > myimage.tar
docker load < myimage.tar

Most of my containers came from Dockerfiles or registries, so I did not migrate much.

When Docker Desktop still fits

I would still keep Docker Desktop if a team depends on Docker Extensions, official support, or a company-managed setup.

But for my personal machine, I do not miss it. Colima and OrbStack cover the parts I actually use, with less friction.