GET STARTED

What is Kiri?

Kiri is a tiny, fast container runtime for the Mac. It runs your Docker images in one lightweight Linux VM and speaks the Docker Engine API, so the docker CLI, Compose and buildx work with it unchanged.

Keep reading to learn more, or get started right away.

Why Kiri?

Fast. A container starts and is removed in 2.55 ms through the Engine API, against 213 ms for Docker Desktop and 380 ms for OrbStack on the same Mac. See the numbers.
Light. The engine stays at about 15 MB. The VM gives unused memory back while it runs and sleeps after a minute idle, waking again in about 0.15 s.
Simple. Containers get their own names like web.kiri.local, with HTTPS. Their files are in Finder at ~/Kiri, and your SSH agent reaches inside.
Capable. Containers, Compose and builds, amd64 images through Rosetta, a Kubernetes cluster in about 20 s, and Linux machines. All of it from the window or the menu bar.

See the website for a tour, or what changed lately on the blog.

Getting started

Download the app and open it. Kiri sets up a kiri Docker context on first open, so the tools you already use point at it:

docker run -d --name web -p 8080:80 nginx
open http://web.kiri.local   # or http://localhost:8080

Coming from Docker Desktop? Your images, Compose files and scripts don’t change. Here’s what to expect.

Where it runs

MacApple Silicon. A signed, notarized app that keeps itself up to date.LinuxNo VM at all: the engine runs on the host’s kernel. .deb and .rpm.Windows betaThrough WSL2, with no change to your network settings.

Feedback

Found a bug, or missing something? Tell us with Feedback in Kiri’s window.

The name

Kiri comes from the Igbo word ntakịrị, “small”. It’s written in Rust, and it stays small on purpose.