Best Free Container Management Software of 2025

Google Cloud Platform offers a powerful solution for managing containers through Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), enabling users to efficiently deploy, manage, and scale their containerized applications. GKE streamlines the deployment process and features inherent scalability tailored for microservices architectures. New users can take advantage of $300 in free credits, allowing them to experiment with container management functionalities and assess how GCP can facilitate production-level containerized workloads. GCP's container services seamlessly integrate with other Google offerings such as Cloud Build and Cloud Monitoring, empowering organizations to develop, deploy, and monitor their applications in real-time. Furthermore, GKE ensures that containerized applications are continuously secure and current through automatic updates and patch management. These features simplify the management of containerized workloads at scale, significantly reducing operational complexity for businesses.

Kasm Workspaces streams your workplace environment directly to your web browser…on any device and from any location. Kasm is revolutionizing the way businesses deliver digital workspaces. We use our open-source web native container streaming technology to create a modern devops delivery of Desktop as a Service, application streaming, and browser isolation. Kasm is more than a service. It is a platform that is highly configurable and has a robust API that can be customized to your needs at any scale. Workspaces can be deployed wherever the work is. It can be deployed on-premise (including Air-Gapped Networks), in the cloud (Public and Private), or in a hybrid.

Kubernetes serves as a powerful foundation for transformative ideas. It enables developers to innovate and deliver projects more rapidly through the premier hybrid cloud and enterprise container solution. Red Hat OpenShift simplifies the process with automated installations, updates, and comprehensive lifecycle management across the entire container ecosystem, encompassing the operating system, Kubernetes, cluster services, and applications on any cloud platform. This service allows teams to operate with speed, flexibility, assurance, and a variety of options. You can code in production mode wherever you prefer to create, enabling a return to meaningful work. Emphasizing security at all stages of the container framework and application lifecycle, Red Hat OpenShift provides robust, long-term enterprise support from a leading contributor to Kubernetes and open-source technology. It is capable of handling the most demanding workloads, including AI/ML, Java, data analytics, databases, and more. Furthermore, it streamlines deployment and lifecycle management through a wide array of technology partners, ensuring that your operational needs are met seamlessly. This integration of capabilities fosters an environment where innovation can thrive without compromise.

The Percona Kubernetes Opera for Percona XtraDB Cluster and Percona Server For MongoDB automates the creation of, alteration or deletion of members within your Percona XtraDB Cluster and Percona Serverfor MongoDB environments. It can be used for creating a Percona XtraDB Cluster, Percona Server For MongoDB replica set or scaling an existing environment. The Operator contains all required Kubernetes settings for a consistent Percona XtraDB cluster or Percona Server to MongoDB instance. The Percona Kubernetes Operators follow best practices in the configuration and setup of a Percona XtraDB cluster or Percona Server to MongoDB replica set. The Operator has many benefits, but the most important is to save time and provide a consistent, vetted environment.

Portainer Business makes managing containers easy. It is designed to be deployed from the data centre to the edge and works with Docker, Swarm and Kubernetes. It is trusted by more than 500K users. With its super-simple GUI and its comprehensive Kube-compatible API, Portainer Business makes it easy for anyone to deploy and manage container-based applications, triage container-related issues, set up automate Git-based workflows and build CaaS environments that end users love to use. Portainer Business works with all K8s distros and can be deployed on prem and/or in the cloud. It is designed to be used in team environments where there are multiple users and multiple clusters. The product incorporates a range of security features - including RBAC, OAuth integration and logging, which makes it suitable for use in large, complex production environments. For platform managers responsible for delivering a self-service CaaS environment, Portainer includes a suite of features that help control what users can / can't do and significantly reduces the risks associated with running containers in prod. Portainer Business is fully supported and includes a comprehensive onboarding experience that ensures you get up and running.

Introducing K8 Studio, the premier cross-platform client IDE designed for streamlined management of Kubernetes clusters. Effortlessly deploy your applications across leading platforms like EKS, GKE, AKS, or even on your own bare metal infrastructure. Enjoy the convenience of connecting to your cluster through a user-friendly interface that offers a clear visual overview of nodes, pods, services, and other essential components. Instantly access logs, receive in-depth descriptions of elements, and utilize a bash terminal with just a click. K8 Studio enhances your Kubernetes workflow with its intuitive features. With a grid view for a detailed tabular representation of Kubernetes objects, users can easily navigate through various components. The sidebar allows for the quick selection of object types, ensuring a fully interactive experience that updates in real time. Users benefit from the ability to search and filter objects by namespace, as well as rearranging columns for customized viewing. Workloads, services, ingresses, and volumes are organized by both namespace and instance, facilitating efficient management. Additionally, K8 Studio enables users to visualize the connections between objects, allowing for a quick assessment of pod counts and current statuses. Dive into a more organized and efficient Kubernetes management experience with K8 Studio, where every feature is designed to optimize your workflow.

Ambassador Edge Stack, a Kubernetes-native API Gateway, provides simplicity, security, and scalability for some of the largest Kubernetes infrastructures in the world. Ambassador Edge Stack makes it easy to secure microservices with a complete set of security functionality including automatic TLS, authentication and rate limiting. WAF integration is also available. Fine-grained access control is also possible. The API Gateway is a Kubernetes-based ingress controller that supports a wide range of protocols, including gRPC, gRPC Web, TLS termination, and traffic management controls to ensure resource availability.

Far too many companies have been falsely convinced they have the same technical requirements as Google and Amazon. Instead of utilizing solutions that solve the issues that matter most, companies are adopting evergrowing technical stacks that delay progress more than accelerate it. Instead of chasing hype and trying to solve an infinite number of problems, we at Cycle have doubled-down on building a solid foundation that addresses the problems that really matter.

While many Kubernetes platforms enable users to create and oversee Kubernetes clusters, Loft takes a different approach. Rather than being a standalone solution for managing clusters, Loft serves as an advanced control plane that enhances your current Kubernetes environments by introducing multi-tenancy and self-service functionalities, maximizing the benefits of Kubernetes beyond mere cluster oversight. It boasts an intuitive user interface and command-line interface, yet operates entirely on the Kubernetes framework, allowing seamless management through kubectl and the Kubernetes API, which ensures exceptional compatibility with pre-existing cloud-native tools. The commitment to developing open-source solutions is integral to our mission, as Loft Labs proudly holds membership with both the CNCF and the Linux Foundation. By utilizing Loft, organizations can enable their teams to create economical and efficient Kubernetes environments tailored for diverse applications, fostering innovation and agility in their workflows. This unique capability empowers businesses to harness the true potential of Kubernetes without the complexity often associated with cluster management.

You can use your favorite debugging software to locally troubleshoot your Kubernetes services. Telepresence, an open-source tool, allows you to run one service locally and connect it to a remote Kubernetes cluster. Telepresence was initially developed by Ambassador Labs, which creates open-source development tools for Kubernetes such as Ambassador and Forge. We welcome all contributions from the community. You can help us by submitting an issue, pull request or reporting a bug. Join our active Slack group to ask questions or inquire about paid support plans. Telepresence is currently under active development. Register to receive updates and announcements. You can quickly debug locally without waiting for a container to be built/push/deployed. Ability to use their favorite local tools such as debugger, IDE, etc. Ability to run large-scale programs that aren't possible locally.

8gears Container Registry is a Harbor-based container registry as a service offered and operated by the project's maintainer and contributors

Helm simplifies the management of Kubernetes applications, while Helm charts allow users to define, install, and upgrade even the most intricate Kubernetes applications. These charts are not only user-friendly to create and publish, but they also facilitate easy versioning and sharing, making Helm an essential tool to eliminate redundant copy-and-paste efforts. By detailing even the most sophisticated applications, charts ensure consistent installation practices and act as a central authoritative source. They also ease the update process through in-place upgrades and customizable hooks. Furthermore, charts can be easily versioned and hosted on both public and private servers, allowing for flexibility in deployment. Should you need to revert to a previous version, the helm rollback command makes this process straightforward. Helm operates using a packaging format known as charts, which consist of a collection of files that outline a related group of Kubernetes resources. Notably, a single chart can manage the deployment of a simple element, such as a memcached pod, or orchestrate a comprehensive web application stack, including HTTP servers, databases, and caches, showcasing its versatility and power in the Kubernetes ecosystem. This capability to handle both simple and complex deployments makes Helm an indispensable tool for developers and operators alike.

Launch production-ready Kubernetes clusters within just a few days and facilitate the swift onboarding of users and applications. Tackle the complexities of Kubernetes using a robust and user-friendly DevOps solution that minimizes friction among teams, fosters better collaboration, and increases overall productivity. With Nirmata's Kubernetes Policy Manager, you can ensure the appropriate security measures, compliance, and governance for Kubernetes, enabling you to scale operations smoothly. Manage all your Kubernetes clusters, policies, and applications seamlessly in a single platform, while optimizing operations through the DevSecOps Platform. Nirmata’s DevSecOps platform is designed to integrate effortlessly with various cloud providers such as EKS, AKS, GKE, OKE, and offers support for infrastructure solutions like VMware, Nutanix, and bare metal. This solution effectively addresses the operational challenges faced by enterprise DevOps teams, providing them with comprehensive management and governance tools tailored for Kubernetes environments. By implementing Nirmata, organizations can improve their workflow efficiency and streamline their Kubernetes operations.

Kubernetes serves as the operating system for the cloud environment. A multitude of companies and individuals utilize Lens, recognized as the most expansive and sophisticated Kubernetes platform globally, to develop and manage their Kubernetes instances. Lens Desktop seamlessly integrates with any Kubernetes setup, streamlining processes and enhancing productivity. Its user base spans a wide range, including developers, operations teams, startups, and large enterprises alike. Additionally, Lens Spaces, a cloud-based service, enhances its capabilities by organizing existing Kubernetes environments and offering Managed Dev Clusters for collaborative team use. Rooted in open-source principles, Lens thrives within a dynamic community and is supported by trailblazers in the Kubernetes and cloud-native ecosystems. The intelligent terminal includes kubectl and helm, ensuring that the kubectl version automatically syncs with the selected Kubernetes cluster's API version. Furthermore, Lens simplifies configuration management by automatically setting the kubeconfig context to correspond with the chosen K8s cluster, making it a powerful tool for cloud-native development and operations. This level of integration and ease of use makes Lens an essential resource for anyone engaged in Kubernetes management.

StackBlitz has developed WebContainers, a browser-based runtime that allows Node.js applications and operating system commands to run directly within a web browser tab. This innovative technology empowers developers to create immediate and engaging coding experiences, ranging from tutorials to comprehensive integrated development environments, all without requiring local installations or cloud-based virtual machines. Operating entirely on the client side, WebContainers provide exceptional user experiences characterized by zero latency, offline functionality, and increased security, as they remove the risks associated with executing code on servers. They support native Node.js toolchains, such as npm, pnpm, and yarn, and are compatible with leading modern frameworks. Furthermore, WebContainers offer seamless support for running WebAssembly (Wasm) right out of the box, enabling the adaptation of various programming languages and frameworks to operate within the browser environment. With these capabilities, developers can leverage the full potential of web technologies while maintaining flexibility and performance.

Karpenter streamlines Kubernetes infrastructure by ensuring that the optimal nodes are provisioned precisely when needed. As an open-source and high-performance autoscaler for Kubernetes clusters, Karpenter automates the deployment of necessary compute resources to support applications efficiently. It is crafted to maximize the advantages of cloud computing, facilitating rapid and seamless compute provisioning within Kubernetes environments. By promptly adjusting to fluctuations in application demand, scheduling, and resource needs, Karpenter boosts application availability by adeptly allocating new workloads across a diverse range of computing resources. Additionally, it identifies and eliminates underutilized nodes, swaps out expensive nodes for cost-effective options, and consolidates workloads on more efficient resources, ultimately leading to significant reductions in cluster compute expenses. This innovative approach not only enhances resource management but also contributes to overall operational efficiency within cloud environments.

A versatile and straightforward workload orchestrator designed to deploy and oversee both containerized and non-containerized applications seamlessly across on-premises and cloud environments at scale. This efficient tool comes as a single 35MB binary that effortlessly fits into your existing infrastructure. It provides an easy operational experience whether on-prem or in the cloud, maintaining minimal overhead. Capable of orchestrating various types of applications—not limited to just containers—it offers top-notch support for Docker, Windows, Java, VMs, and more. By introducing orchestration advantages, it helps enhance existing services. Users can achieve zero downtime deployments, increased resilience, and improved resource utilization without the need for containerization. A single command allows for multi-region, multi-cloud federation, enabling global application deployment to any region using Nomad as a cohesive control plane. This results in a streamlined workflow for deploying applications to either bare metal or cloud environments. Additionally, Nomad facilitates the development of multi-cloud applications with remarkable ease and integrates smoothly with Terraform, Consul, and Vault for efficient provisioning, service networking, and secrets management, making it an indispensable tool in modern application management.

Rapidly create, launch, and expand web applications and APIs according to your specifications. Utilize frameworks such as .NET, .NET Core, Node.js, Java, Python, or PHP, whether in containers or on Windows or Linux platforms. Achieve demanding enterprise-level standards for performance, security, and compliance with a reliable, fully managed service that processes over 40 billion requests daily. This managed service includes automatic infrastructure upkeep, security updates, and scalability features. It also offers integrated CI/CD support and ensures zero-downtime deployments. With stringent security measures and compliance certifications like SOC and PCI, seamless deployments are possible across public cloud environments, Azure Government, and on-premises setups. You can bring your existing code or container using your preferred framework. Enhance developer efficiency through deep integration with Visual Studio Code and Visual Studio. Additionally, simplify CI/CD workflows with tools such as Git, GitHub, GitHub Actions, Atlassian Bitbucket, Azure DevOps, Docker Hub, and Azure Container Registry, allowing teams to work more collaboratively and effectively. Embrace the flexibility of choosing the tools that best fit your project's needs.

Mesos operates on principles similar to those of the Linux kernel, but it functions at a higher level of abstraction. Its kernel is deployed across all machines, facilitating applications such as Hadoop, Spark, Kafka, and Elasticsearch by offering APIs that manage resources and schedules throughout entire data centers and cloud infrastructures. Additionally, Mesos includes native capabilities for launching containers using Docker and AppC images. It enables both cloud-native and legacy applications to run within the same cluster while allowing for customizable scheduling policies. Users benefit from HTTP APIs designed for the development of new distributed applications, as well as tools for cluster management and monitoring. Furthermore, there is a built-in Web UI that allows users to observe the state of the cluster and navigate through container sandboxes, enhancing overall operability and visibility. This comprehensive approach makes Mesos a versatile option for managing complex application deployments effectively.

Anthos enables the creation, deployment, and management of applications in a secure and uniform way, regardless of location. It allows for the modernization of legacy applications that operate on virtual machines, while simultaneously facilitating the deployment of cloud-native applications utilizing containers in a world that increasingly embraces hybrid and multi-cloud environments. This application platform ensures a consistent experience for both development and operations across all deployments, which helps to lower operational costs and enhance developer efficiency. Anthos GKE provides a robust enterprise-level service for orchestrating and managing Kubernetes clusters, whether in cloud settings or on-premises infrastructures. Anthos Config Management allows organizations to define, automate, and enforce policies across various environments, ensuring compliance with specific security requirements. Furthermore, Anthos Service Mesh alleviates the burden on operations and development teams, granting them the ability to effectively manage and secure traffic between services while also enabling real-time monitoring, troubleshooting, and enhancement of application performance. In conclusion, adopting Anthos can significantly streamline the management of complex application ecosystems.

ArvanCloud CDN consists of tens to PoP sites at important locations around the globe to deliver online content to users, from the nearest geographical point at the highest quality and speed. You can create unlimited cloud servers with ArvanCloud Cloud Computing infrastructure in just a few clicks. You can create multiple cloud storage disks per server and manage your cloud data center communications with Firewall and private or public networks. ArvanCloud allows you secure any type of data stored on Cloud Storage. You can access a reliable storage system anywhere in the world and have no worries about data loss. ArvanCloud Container-Based Platform as a Service conforms to Kubernetes standards. You are only a few commands away from an operational product with ArvanCloud Container-Based Platform as a Service.

Podman is a container engine that operates without a daemon, designed for the development, management, and execution of OCI Containers on Linux systems. It enables users to run containers in both root and rootless modes, effectively allowing you to think of it as a direct replacement for Docker by using the command alias docker=podman. With Podman, users can manage pods, containers, and container images while offering support for Docker Swarm. We advocate for the use of Kubernetes as the primary standard for creating Pods and orchestrating containers, establishing Kubernetes YAML as the preferred format. Consequently, Podman facilitates the creation and execution of Pods directly from a Kubernetes YAML file through commands like podman-play-kube. Additionally, it can generate Kubernetes YAML configurations from existing containers or Pods using podman-generate-kube, streamlining the workflow from local development to deployment in a production Kubernetes environment. This versatility makes Podman a powerful tool for developers and system administrators alike.

WhaleDeck is the ultimate app to monitor and control your Docker containers. WhaleDeck's user-friendly interface is packed with powerful features. It is the only tool that you need to manage Docker environments. WhaleDeck's real time visualization of CPU, Memory, Drive and Network usage allows you to easily monitor your containers. Log viewer allows you to keep track of container logs, and identify problems quickly. With the ability to manage multiple servers simultaneously, you can manage all your Docker environments in one place. You can control your containers by running actions such as start, stop and pause for a single container, or multiple containers, at the same time. Split View allows you to work more efficiently by displaying multiple parts of your Docker Environment side-by-side. WhaleDeck is the perfect tool for anyone who needs to manage Docker Containers, whether they are developers, DevOps engineers, or simply someone who wants to manage Docker Containers.