compare
ko vs Podman
The same facts for both, read from GitHub every night, and the relation a person reviewed.
| Fact | ko | Podman |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Go | Go |
| Licence | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Stars | 8.6k | 33k |
| Latest | v0.19.1 | v6.2.0 |
| Last push | 2026-11-09 | 2026-11-12 |
| Release cadence | about 194 days between releases | about 1 day between releases |
| Active contributors | 7 commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days | 91+ commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days |
| Flags | none | none |
How they relate
Both replace Docker Engine (Moby). Alternatives to Docker Engine (Moby) →
PartialkoBuilds and pushes container images for Go apps without a Dockerfile or a Docker daemon.
Drop-inPodmanDocker-compatible CLI, daemonless and rootless by default.
ko
- v0.19.12026-06-29fix: skip yaml encoding when selector filters all documents
- v0.19.02026-06-26Add repeatable --ldflags flag for go build
- v0.18.12025-12-13update labelsNode to match new labels interface in kube 1.34
- v0.18.02025-05-06add documentation for installing custom root ca certificates
- v0.17.12024-10-24Remove cycle in release process
Podman
- v6.2.02026-11-10Addresses CVE-2026-121885, untrusted image labels could be used to trick podman auto-update into restarting incorrect s…
- v5.8.102026-11-10Addresses CVE-2026-121885, untrusted image labels could be used to trick podman auto-update into restarting incorrect s…
- v6.2.0-rc12026-10-26v6.2.0-RC1pre-release
- v5.8.92026-10-12Fixed an issue where Podman would not function when run under WSL 3 (#29749).
- v6.1.42026-10-12Fixed an issue where Podman would not function when run under WSL 3 (#29749).
ko
unsigned The latest release, v0.19.1, carries no signature GitHub could verify.
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Podman
✓ signed The latest release, v6.2.0, carries a signature GitHub verified.
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