Benchmarks on the same Mac
Same Mac, same harness, same limits (8 CPUs and 12 GB), one product at a time, each started fresh with its own command. The rows are the operations a developer, a test suite or a coding agent repeats all day.
| Operation | Oxcart 0.1.2 | OrbStack 2.2.3 | Oxcart faster by |
|---|---|---|---|
docker run --rm … true | 42.3 ms | 220 ms | 5.2× |
8 concurrent docker run --rm | 96.3 ms | 758 ms | 7.9× |
docker stop | 19.2 ms | 107 ms | 5.6× |
docker exec … true | 21.5 ms | 26.8 ms | 1.2× |
| Create and start 20 containers | 692 ms | 2,209 ms | 3.2× |
| Stop and remove 20 containers | 76.7 ms | 1,224 ms | 16× |
| API create (no CLI) | 2.46 ms | 48.5 ms | 20× |
| API start | 18.5 ms | 51.2 ms | 2.8× |
| API stop | 4.03 ms | 91.5 ms | 23× |
| Build, uncached, local context | 341 ms | 681 ms | 2× |
| Build, cached | 121 ms | 283 ms | 2.3× |
docker stats --no-stream, 20 containers | 1,038 ms | 2,050 ms | 2× |
CPU of one streaming docker stats client | 1.29 % of a core | 3.81 % | 3× less |
| Named volume, 1,000-file create/stat/read/delete | 17.8 ms | 25.2 ms | 1.4× |
| Start command to Docker API ready | 788 ms | 1,154 ms | 1.5× |
| Stop command until the API is gone | 27.9 ms | 1,027 ms | 37× |
Oxcart 0.1.2 measured 2026-10-10 with its bundled docker 29.9 client; OrbStack 2.2.3 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. Both start and stop rows use each product's own engine-only command.
Level (within 10%): idle memory with no containers, exec output throughput, container-to-Mac downloads, host CPU per container CPU-second, and starting an existing container with a published port.
What the gap means in practice
- Test suites. Testcontainers and SDKs call the Engine API directly. At 2.5 ms per create and 4.0 ms per stop against 48.5 ms and 91.5 ms, a suite that creates and stops 200 containers spends about 1.3 s on those calls instead of about 28 s.
- Compose restarts. Stopping and removing 20 containers took 77 ms against 1.2 s; creating and starting them 0.69 s against 2.2 s.
- Coding agents. Agents run and discard containers constantly; 42 ms against 220 ms per
docker runadds up over a session. - Builds. A cached rebuild of a small image took 121 ms against 283 ms.
The test-suite estimate multiplies the measured medians by 200 and ignores everything else a suite does.
Features and policies side by side
| Feature | Oxcart | OrbStack |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | macOS 26 or later, Apple silicon | macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon and Intel |
| Price | $20 per user per major version for any use; free for 60 days; up to 5 Macs | Free for personal, non-commercial use; Pro $8 per user per month ($96 a year) for commercial use |
| What it runs | Docker-compatible containers with its own engine | Docker containers and Linux machines |
| Kubernetes | Not included | A single-node cluster |
| Docker API access | Private Unix socket only (mode 0600); no setting puts it on TCP | Documents an opt-in TCP Docker API |
What Oxcart adds
- An MCP server for coding agents: 13 tools, read-only by default, Manage, Full or Block per agent, every call logged on your Mac, with setup steps for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code with Copilot and 14 more.
- An encrypted network path: published and outbound TCP between your Mac and the engine travels in TLS 1.3, pinned to a certificate made at every start, with a per-start 256-bit token.
- Your network rules apply: the Mac opens containers' outbound connections, so VPN routes, split DNS and Little Snitch or LuLu rules cover them.
- Ports grouped by repository and branch, with the reason a port isn't answering, such as a server listening only on 127.0.0.1 inside the container.
- Offline setup in about 2.5 s, with the docker CLI 29.9, Compose 5.6 and Buildx 0.38 included.
Price over time
For personal, non-commercial use, OrbStack is free. For work, one OrbStack Pro seat is $96 a year: $288 over 3 years, and $2,880 for a team of 10. Oxcart is $20 per user for the whole major version, $200 for the same team, with free minor and patch updates and $15 to move to the next major version. Oxcart's license never expires and keeps working offline.
Choose Oxcart if
- You want the fastest container lifecycle we measured on Apple silicon: run, stop, tear down, rebuild.
- Coding agents work in your repositories. Oxcart's
diagnoseanswers in 159 tokens against 2,014 fordocker inspectplusdocker logs. See Docker for AI coding agents. - Security reviews ask how the Docker API is exposed and how container traffic crosses the Mac. See container networking on a Mac.
- You use Oxcart for work and prefer $20 per major version to a monthly seat.
Choose OrbStack if
- You want full Linux machines next to your containers.
- You want a Kubernetes cluster inside the same app.
- You are on an Intel Mac or on macOS 14 or 15.
- You use it only for personal, non-commercial projects, where it is free.
Both can live on one Mac: move your images, volumes and Compose projects and switch back with one command.
Questions
Is Oxcart faster than OrbStack?
At the container lifecycle, yes, on every operation we measured on one Apple silicon Mac: docker run --rm 42 ms against 220 ms (5.2×), eight concurrent runs 96 ms against 758 ms (7.9×), API stop 4.0 ms against 91.5 ms (23×), stopping and removing 20 containers 77 ms against 1,224 ms (16×), and cached builds 121 ms against 283 ms (2.3×).
How much does OrbStack cost compared with Oxcart?
As of October 2026, OrbStack is free for personal, non-commercial use, and commercial use needs Pro at $8 per user per month ($96 a year). Oxcart is $20 per user per major version for any use, after a 60-day free trial; minor and patch updates are free and a license covers up to 5 Macs. Over 3 years, one commercial OrbStack seat is $288.
Does Oxcart have Linux machines and Kubernetes like OrbStack?
No. OrbStack runs Linux machines and a single-node Kubernetes cluster as well as containers. Oxcart focuses on Docker-compatible containers, with an MCP server for coding agents. For Kubernetes workflows with Oxcart, see Kubernetes on a Mac.
Can I use Oxcart and OrbStack on the same Mac?
Yes. Each has its own Docker context; docker context use switches between them. Oxcart makes its own context current only if nothing else is in use, and asks before replacing OrbStack's docker tools; Uninstall puts them back. See switching to Oxcart.
Which uses less memory?
With no containers running, they are level: 776 MiB for Oxcart's app, helpers and engine against 792 MiB for OrbStack. 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.
Does Oxcart support Intel Macs or macOS 15?
No. Oxcart needs Apple silicon and macOS 26 or later. OrbStack supports macOS 14 and later on Apple silicon and Intel.
Sources and method
- Benchmarks: Oxcart 0.1.2 measured 2026-10-10 with its bundled docker 29.9 client; OrbStack 2.2.3 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.
- OrbStack: docs.orbstack.dev; orbstack.dev/download (macOS 14.0+, Apple silicon and Intel); orbstack.dev/pricing; docs.orbstack.dev/kubernetes/; docs.orbstack.dev/machines/; docs.orbstack.dev/docker/ (opt-in TCP API).
- Vendor facts checked October 10, 2026.