Benchmarks on the same Mac
Both products ran on one Apple M5 Max with the same harness and the same limits: 8 CPUs and 12 GB each, one product running at a time, each started fresh with its own command.
| Operation | Oxcart 0.1.2 | Docker Desktop 4.94.0 | Oxcart faster by |
|---|---|---|---|
docker run --rm … true | 42.3 ms | 143 ms | 3.4× |
8 concurrent docker run --rm | 96.3 ms | 378 ms | 3.9× |
docker stop | 19.2 ms | 128 ms | 6.7× |
docker exec … true | 21.5 ms | 33.1 ms | 1.5× |
| Create and start 20 containers | 692 ms | 1,738 ms | 2.5× |
| Stop and remove 20 containers | 76.7 ms | 683 ms | 8.9× |
| API create (no CLI) | 2.46 ms | 17.3 ms | 7× |
| API start | 18.5 ms | 39.2 ms | 2.1× |
| API stop | 4.03 ms | 86.3 ms | 21× |
| Build, uncached, local context | 341 ms | 412 ms | 1.2× |
| Build, cached | 121 ms | 149 ms | 1.2× |
docker stats --no-stream, 20 containers | 1,038 ms | 2,054 ms | 2× |
CPU of one streaming docker stats client | 1.29 % of a core | 5.45 % | 4.2× less |
| Named volume, 1,000-file create/stat/read/delete | 17.8 ms | 24.4 ms | 1.4× |
| Start command to Docker API ready | 788 ms | 1,712 ms† | 2.2× |
| Stop command until the API is gone | 27.9 ms | 896 ms† | 32× |
Oxcart 0.1.2 measured 2026-10-10 with its bundled docker 29.9 client; Docker Desktop 4.94.0 measured earlier the same day, on the same Mac and harness, with docker 29.4. Apple M5 Max, 36 GB, macOS 27.2; each set to 8 CPUs and 12 GB, one running at a time, started fresh with its own command; medians of five samples after a warmup. † Docker Desktop has no engine-only start or stop command, so its start and stop rows include launching and quitting the app; Oxcart's start and stop only its engine.
Starting an existing container with a published port was on par (81.8 ms against 84.5 ms). Oxcart also brings the docker CLI 29.9, Compose 5.6 and Buildx 0.38, sets itself up offline in about 2.5 s, and carries published and outbound TCP between your Mac and its engine in TLS 1.3.
Why it matters: a test suite that creates and stops hundreds of containers through Testcontainers, a Compose stack you restart all afternoon, a coding agent that runs throwaway containers on every turn. Each saves tens to hundreds of milliseconds per operation, many times a day.
Memory and download
| Measure | Oxcart | Docker Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Idle memory with no containers (app, helpers and engine) | 776 MiB | 1,745 MiB |
| Download | 215 MiB | 560 MiB |
Idle memory from the benchmark runs above. Oxcart's download is the size of its 0.1.2 DMG; Docker Desktop's was measured by the benchmark harness, a different measurement. For memory per container and the cost of monitoring, see memory and CPU use, measured.
Features and policies side by side
| Feature | Oxcart | Docker Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | macOS 26 or later, Apple silicon | macOS (current and two previous releases, Apple silicon and Intel), Windows, Linux |
| Price | $20 per user per major version; minor and patch updates free; up to 5 Macs; free for 60 days | Free for personal use, education, non-commercial open source and companies under 250 employees and $10M revenue; otherwise Pro $9, Team $15, Business $24 per user per month, billed yearly |
| Engine | Oxcart's own Docker-compatible engine (Docker API 1.40 to 1.54) | Docker Engine |
| Kubernetes | Not included | kubeadm (single node) or kind (multi-node) |
| Coding agents | Local MCP server for your containers: 13 tools, read-only by default, per-agent levels, setup steps for 18 named agents | MCP Toolkit: a catalog of 300+ MCP servers packaged as container images |
| Privileged parts | One root helper, started on demand, exits 10 s after its last request; it can only link or unlink Oxcart's five tools | Documents a launchd-started privileged helper, com.docker.vmnetd |
/var/run/docker.sock | Never created or replaced; clients use the oxcart context | Optional symlink |
| Folders shared by default | Your home folder, /private/tmp, /private/var/folders | /Users, /Volumes, /private, /tmp, /var/folders |
Licensing, in plain numbers
Docker Desktop is free for individuals, education, non-commercial open source and small businesses. At a company with 250 or more employees or US $10 million or more in revenue, every user needs a subscription; Docker's own FAQ notes that Pro and Team were $5 and $9 a month, billed yearly, before the current prices. For 10 developers over 3 years, Docker Desktop Team at $15 a month comes to $5,400 and Business at $24 to $8,640. Oxcart for the same team is $200, assuming no paid major upgrade in that time (each upgrade is $15 per user). See the alternatives and their prices.
Choose Oxcart if
- Your team works on Apple silicon Macs with macOS 27.
- You wait on containers: test suites, Compose stacks, Dev Containers, coding agents.
- Coding agents work in your repositories and you want them to see containers safely. See Docker for AI coding agents.
- Your VPN, split DNS or Little Snitch rules must apply to containers too. See container networking on a Mac.
- You would rather pay $20 once per major version than a monthly subscription.
Choose Docker Desktop if
- Some of the team is on Windows or Linux and you want one app for all of them.
- You need Kubernetes built into the desktop app.
- You are on an Intel Mac or on macOS 14 or 15.
- Your organization standardizes on Docker Desktop for its managed developer environment.
Switching takes a few commands, and you can keep Docker Desktop installed: switch from Docker Desktop to Oxcart.
Questions
Is Oxcart faster than Docker Desktop on a Mac?
At starting, stopping and tearing down containers on one Apple silicon Mac, yes: docker run --rm took 42 ms against 143 ms (3.4×), docker stop 19 ms against 128 ms (6.7×), API stop 4.0 ms against 86.3 ms (21×), and stopping and removing 20 containers 77 ms against 683 ms (8.9×). Builds were 1.2× faster.
Does Oxcart use less memory than Docker Desktop?
At idle with no containers running, Oxcart's app, helpers and engine used 776 MiB against Docker Desktop's 1,745 MiB: less than half. Since Oxcart 0.1.3, memory comes back to macOS once nothing runs: 570 MiB, down from 3,319 MiB, 32 s after your last container stops.
Do I need a Docker subscription to use Oxcart?
No. Oxcart is its own product with its own Docker-compatible engine and ships the docker CLI, Compose and Buildx. It costs $20 per user per major version after a 60-day free trial. Docker Desktop's subscription terms apply to Docker Desktop.
Will my docker compose files work with Oxcart?
Compose projects with multiple services, healthcheck dependencies, up --wait, service-name DNS, init: true and network_mode: service: run as they are. Privileged containers are supported too, so services using privileged: true can stay in your Compose workflow. For services with specific networking needs, see the networking guide.
Does Oxcart include Kubernetes like Docker Desktop?
No. Docker Desktop includes Kubernetes through kubeadm or kind; Oxcart focuses on containers. kubectl and k9s on your Mac work with any cluster in your kubeconfig. See Kubernetes on a Mac.
Can I run Oxcart and Docker Desktop on the same Mac?
Yes. Each has its own Docker context, and docker context use switches between them. Oxcart makes its own context current only if nothing else is in use, never creates or replaces /var/run/docker.sock, and asks before replacing Docker Desktop's docker tools; Uninstall puts them back.
Does Oxcart run on Windows or Intel Macs?
No. Oxcart is a Mac app for Apple silicon with macOS 26 or later. Docker Desktop runs on macOS (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows and Linux.
Sources and method
- Benchmarks: Oxcart 0.1.2 measured 2026-10-10 with its bundled docker 29.9 client; Docker Desktop 4.94.0 measured earlier the same day, on the same Mac and harness, with docker 29.4. Apple M5 Max, 36 GB, macOS 27.2; each set to 8 CPUs and 12 GB, one running at a time, started fresh with its own command; medians of five samples after a warmup. Within 10% counts as level; one pass per product.
- Memory returned when nothing runs: Oxcart 0.1.3.
- Docker Desktop platforms and macOS support: docs.docker.com/desktop/setup/install/mac-install/, /windows-install/, /linux/.
- Docker Desktop pricing and terms: www.docker.com/pricing/; www.docker.com/pricing/faq/.
- Docker Desktop Kubernetes: docs.docker.com/desktop/features/kubernetes/. MCP Toolkit: docs.docker.com/ai/mcp-catalog-and-toolkit/.
- Docker Desktop helper and socket: docs.docker.com/desktop/setup/install/mac-permission-requirements/. Default file sharing: docs.docker.com/desktop/settings-and-maintenance/settings/.
- Vendor facts checked October 10, 2026.