Best Container Engines in 2026
Updated
32 container engines ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
32ranked
1free plans on this page
$93.75/molowest paid tier
8 Oct 2026last checked
1 of the 7 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | runhcsWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 27 | SysboxLinux · Self-hosted | One bar | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 5.2 | |
| 28 | AppJailNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 29 | Mirantis Container RuntimeWindows · Linux · Self-hosted · API | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | $93.75/mo | 5.1 |
| 30 | OpenVZLinux | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 31 | ShifterLinux | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 32 | systemd-nspawnLinux | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
Compare all 7 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Rootless mode | Image building |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | runhcs | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 27 | Sysbox | 5.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 28 | AppJail | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | No | Yes |
| 29 | Mirantis Container Runtime | 5.1 | No | $93.75/mo | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 30 | OpenVZ | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 31 | Shifter | 5.1 | No | — | — | — | — | No |
| 32 | systemd-nspawn | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | — |
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