compare
Colima vs Rancher Desktop
The same facts for both, read from GitHub every night, and the relation a person reviewed.
| Fact | Colima | Rancher Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Licence | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Stars | 31k | 7.4k |
| Latest | v0.10.3 | v1.24.0 |
| Last push | 2026-10-02 | 2026-10-06 |
| Release cadence | about 56 days between releases | about 19 days between releases |
| Active contributors | 8 commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days | 7+ commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days |
| Flags | none | none |
How they relate
Both replace Docker Desktop. Alternatives to Docker Desktop →
PartialColimaRuns a container runtime and an optional Kubernetes from the command line, with no GUI.
Full replacementRancher DesktopContainers and Kubernetes on the desktop, with containerd or dockerd underneath.
Both replace OrbStack. Alternatives to OrbStack →
PartialColimaRuns Docker and Kubernetes in a Lima VM on macOS, from the command line.
PartialRancher DesktopContainers and a local Kubernetes on macOS, Windows and Linux.
Colima
- v0.10.32026-06-04This is an hotfix release to address a regression for Kubernetes runtime.
- v0.10.22026-06-03This is an incremental stability release with bug fixes and features.
- v0.10.12026-02-22This is an incremental release with support for Docker Model Runner and improvements to the AI functionality introduced…
- v0.10.02026-02-10This release introduces AI support and other updates.
- v0.9.12025-09-25This is a hotfix release to address disk error issues for a subset of users.
Colima
✓ signed The latest release, v0.10.3, carries a signature GitHub verified.
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Rancher Desktop
✓ signed The latest release, v1.24.0, carries a signature GitHub verified.
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