
Podman for .NET Developers: A Beginner-Friendly Docker Alternative
Introduction to Podman: The Docker Alternative
If you’ve been using Docker in your .NET projects, you might have heard about Podman—a container engine that offers a similar experience but with some unique benefits. Podman is designed to be a drop-in replacement for Docker, and the best part? It works without a background daemon, making it lightweight, secure, and great for development environments.
Podman (Pod Manager) is an open-source container engine developed by Red Hat that emerged as a daemonless alternative to Docker. Unlike Docker, Podman runs containers in a more secure way without requiring a background daemon process, making it particularly appealing for production environments and security-conscious developers.
The fundamental distinction between Podman and Docker lies in their architectural approach. While Docker relies on a central daemon process to manage containers, Podman operates without one, running containers directly under the user’s process. This daemonless architecture enables Podman to execute containers without root privileges, significantly enhancing security and process isolation. Developers familiar with Docker will find the transition seamless, as Podman maintains command-line compatibility – simply replace docker
with podman
in your commands, and you’re ready to go.
In this article, we’ll explore how Podman works, how it compares to Docker, and how you can start using it in your .NET development workflow—whether you’re running integration tests, building images, or managing containers.
🐳 New to Docker? Check out my earlier article: Docker for .NET Developers: Easy and Practical Guide

The Evolution of Podman
Podman’s journey began in 2017 when Red Hat engineers sought to address limitations in existing container technologies. Released in 2018 as part of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 8, Podman was designed to overcome Docker’s daemon-centric architecture and root privilege requirements. By 2019, major Linux distributions like Fedora and RHEL began shipping with Podman as their default container engine, marking a significant shift in container technology adoption. The development of Podman was closely tied to other essential tools in the container ecosystem, including Buildah for building container images and Skopeo for image management. This toolset, often called the “container tools suite,” represents a more modular approach to container management, allowing each tool to excel in its specific function.
Docker vs. Podman in Enterprise Environments
For personal projects, both Docker and Podman are excellent choices, offering robust containerization capabilities. However, in enterprise settings, many organizations are transitioning to Podman due to licensing changes introduced by Docker in recent years.
On August 31, 2021, Docker updated its licensing terms, requiring companies with more than 250 employees or over $10 million in annual revenue to obtain a paid subscription for Docker Desktop. A grace period was provided until January 31, 2022, after which compliance became mandatory. This shift prompted enterprises to explore alternatives that align better with open-source principles and avoid additional licensing costs .
Podman has emerged as a compelling alternative. It’s an open-source, daemonless container engine that offers a similar user experience to Docker, including compatibility with Docker CLI commands. Its rootless architecture enhances security, and it integrates seamlessly with systemd, making it particularly appealing for enterprise environments.
Podman vs Docker: A Comprehensive Comparison
Architecture and Security
Podman’s daemonless architecture creates containers as child processes of the user who launches them, providing better process isolation and security. Docker, conversely, runs all containers through a central daemon process, which can become a single point of failure and potential security risk. This architectural difference means Podman containers continue running even if the main Podman process stops, while Docker containers depend on the Docker daemon’s availability.
Resource Management
Both technologies handle container resources differently. Podman manages containers directly through Linux cgroups and namespaces, giving more direct control over resource allocation. Docker abstracts these details through its daemon, which can simplify management but may introduce overhead. Podman’s approach results in potentially better resource utilization and system performance.
Enterprise Integration
Podman excels in enterprise environments with its native systemd integration and support for complex deployment scenarios. It includes built-in pod management capabilities, making it naturally compatible with Kubernetes workflows. While Docker requires additional tools for similar functionality, it maintains a slight edge in developer tooling and third-party integration due to its longer market presence.
Compatibility and Migration
# Docker Compose
docker-compose up
# Podman equivalent
podman-compose up
Podman is also Docker CLI compatible. That means if you’re already familiar with Docker commands, you can use almost the exact same syntax with Podman. You can even create a Docker-compatible alias:
alias docker=podman
Most Docker commands work identically with Podman by simply replacing `docker` with `podman`. However, some Docker-specific features like Docker Swarm aren’t available in Podman, which instead focuses on Kubernetes compatibility.
Community and Support
Docker boasts a larger community and extensive documentation due to its earlier market entry. However, Podman’s Red Hat backing ensures enterprise-grade support and regular updates. Its open-source nature and growing community contribute to rapid feature development and security improvements.
Key Differences at a Glance:
Feature | Podman | Docker |
---|---|---|
Architecture | Daemonless | Daemon-based |
Root Privileges | Not required | Required for daemon |
Pod Support | Native | Limited |
Image Building | Via Buildah | Built-in |
Enterprise Focus | Strong | Moderate |
Community Size | Growing | Extensive |
Both technologies excel in container management, but Podman’s security-focused architecture and enterprise features make it particularly attractive for production environments and security-conscious organizations.

Installation: Getting Podman Up and Running
Installing on Mac & Windows
While “containers are Linux,” Podman also runs on Mac and Windows, where it provides a native podman CLI and embeds a guest Linux system to launch your containers.
macOS
On Mac, each Podman machine is backed by a virtual machine. Once installed, the podman command can be run directly from the Unix shell in Terminal, where it remotely communicates with the podman service running in the Machine VM.
Podman can be downloaded from the Podman.io website or Install via Brew.
Windows
Before installing Podman, ensure your system meets these basic requirements:
- Windows 10 or Windows 11
- 6 GB of RAM
- Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) if you’re on Windows
You have multiple installation options: Using Windows installer or Alternative methods.
Linux
Most modern Linux distributions include Podman in their package managers.

Example: Running Your First .NET App with Podman
Disclaimer: This example is purely for educational purposes. There are better ways to write code and applications that can optimize this example. Use this as a starting point for learning, but always strive to follow best practices and improve your implementation.
Prerequisites
Before starting, make sure you have the following installed:
- .NET SDK: Download and install the .NET SDK if you haven’t already.
- Visual Studio Code (VSCode): Install Visual Studio Code for a lightweight code editor.
- C# Extension for VSCode: Install the C# extension for VSCode to enable C# support.
- Podman Client: Install Podman.
Let’s take a simple example to get started with Podman using a real .NET project. If you’ve followed my Docker for .NET Developers article, this will feel very familiar.
We’ll use a minimal C# console app that prints "Hello, Otto!"
in a loop.
Program.cs
// See https://aka.ms/new-console-template for more information
int max = args.Length > 0 ? Convert.ToInt32(args[0]) : -1;
for (int counter = 0; max == -1 || counter < max; counter++)
{
Console.WriteLine("Hello, Otto!");
await Task.Delay(1000);
}

Dockerfile
FROM mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/sdk:8.0 AS build-env
WORKDIR /App
# Copy everything
COPY . ./
# Restore as distinct layers
RUN dotnet restore
# Build and publish a release
RUN dotnet publish -c Release -o out
# Build runtime image
FROM mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/aspnet:8.0
WORKDIR /App
COPY --from=build-env /App/out .
ENTRYPOINT ["dotnet", "DockerConsole.dll"]

Build the Image
In your project root, build the image with Podman:
podman build -t image-name -f Dockerfile .
Replace image-name with whatever name you prefer (e.g., dockerconsole).
Run the Container
Run the ContainerNow run your app with:
podman run -p 5001:80 image-name

Since this is a console app, you should see the repeated output:
Hello, Otto!
Hello, Otto!
...
If port 5001 is already in use, you can change it to something else (e.g., -p 5002:80), or omit the -p flag entirely if your app doesn’t expose HTTP endpoints.

Conclusion: Ready to Try Podman?
Both Docker and Podman excel at operating and maintaining containers. With either tool, you can successfully develop and deploy large-scale applications.
While Docker remains the industry standard for containerization, Podman represents a more secure, lightweight, and rootless alternative. The choice between them ultimately depends on your project requirements:
- Use Docker if you prioritize ease of use, Windows/macOS support, and widespread enterprise adoption
- Choose Podman if you need enhanced security, multi-container pods, and better resource efficiency
Importantly, transitioning between the two is straightforward as Podman aims to provide a familiar developer experience with Docker-compatible syntax. Pod compose, Podman’s alternative to Docker compose, uses the same syntax and can even work with existing “docker-compose.yml” files.
For .NET developers specifically:
- Podman is the better choice if Kubernetes orchestration or security is a top priority
- Docker might be preferable if you need extensive documentation and a larger community support base
For those considering the switch, Podman Desktop offers enhanced features that make it more powerful and streamlined, providing compatibility with both Docker and Kubernetes for a smoother experience.
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