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World D0: Start Here

Docker Engine, Desktop or Podman?

You will learn: what Docker Engine, Docker Desktop and Podman are, and which one fits your computer.

Checked with Docker Engine 29 on 31 Oct 2026

The problem

Three names keep popping up: Docker Engine, Docker Desktop and Podman. Do you need all three? Which one is yours?

Watch

Tap each point on the timeline.

Docker Engine: The cook in the back: the free, open-source program that runs your containers. is the cook that runs your containers. Docker Desktop wraps it in an app. Podman is a different cook. Tap each one.

Try it

Which one is it? Sort each clue.

Drag a card into a box. Or tap the card, then tap the box.

        Predict

        Your company has 300 staff. You want Docker Desktop at work. What does the licence say?

        Check

        Good pick or not? Swipe each one.

        Swipe right for good, left for needs work. Or use the buttons.

        1 / 4

        Aina, a student with a Windows laptop, picks Docker Desktop

        You did it!

        You can now pick Docker Engine, Docker Desktop or Podman for a computer.

        Go deeper (optional)

        Docker Engine is open source (Apache 2.0). The licence rules on docs.docker.com are for Docker Desktop. Podman also has a free app, Podman Desktop. All three run the same images, because images follow one open standard (OCI).

        Real rep (optional): open the Docker Desktop licence page. Find the two numbers for “small business”.