Docker vs Podman vs Containerd vs Nerdctl: Complete Guide

• 22/6/2025
• 4-minute read

The container runtime landscape has evolved significantly beyond Docker’s early dominance. With licensing changes and security concerns about daemon-based architectures, Podman, Containerd, and nerdctl have emerged as compelling alternatives. Each offers unique advantages that solve different infrastructure challenges.

Architecture Fundamentals

Understanding the architectural differences is crucial for making the right choice for your environment.

Docker: The Established Standard

# Docker requires a daemon running as root
sudo systemctl start docker
docker run nginx:latest
docker build -t myapp .
docker-compose up -d

Docker’s centralized daemon architecture provides a REST API for remote management and extensive tooling integration, but requires root privileges and creates a single point of failure.

Podman: Daemonless Security

# Podman runs without daemon, rootless by default
podman run nginx:latest
podman pod create --name mypod
podman run --pod mypod nginx:latest
podman run --pod mypod redis:latest

Podman eliminates the daemon entirely, supporting rootless execution and Kubernetes-like pods while maintaining Docker CLI compatibility.

Containerd: Industry Foundation

# Containerd for low-level operations
ctr images pull docker.io/library/nginx:latest
ctr run docker.io/library/nginx:latest nginx1
ctr tasks list

As Kubernetes’ default runtime and a CNCF graduated project, containerd focuses on core container operations with minimal overhead.

nerdctl: Modern Docker Alternative

# Docker-like experience with containerd power
nerdctl run nginx:latest
nerdctl build -t myapp .
nerdctl compose up -d
nerdctl run --snapshotter=stargz nginx:latest

nerdctl bridges the gap between Docker’s usability and containerd’s performance, offering advanced features like lazy pulling and built-in image verification.

Security and Performance Analysis

Security Winner: Podman

Podman’s daemonless, rootless architecture significantly reduces attack surface:

# Enhanced security with user namespaces
podman run --userns=keep-id \
  --security-opt label=type:container_runtime_t \
  nginx:latest

Performance Winner: Containerd

Direct containerd usage provides the fastest startup times and lowest resource consumption, making it ideal for production Kubernetes environments.

Migration Strategies

Transitioning between container runtimes requires understanding compatibility and migration paths.

Docker to nerdctl Migration

# 1. Install containerd and nerdctl
sudo apt install containerd.io
wget https://github.com/containerd/nerdctl/releases/latest/download/nerdctl-full-linux-amd64.tar.gz
sudo tar -xzf nerdctl-full-linux-amd64.tar.gz -C /usr/local

# 2. Configure containerd
sudo systemctl enable --now containerd

# 3. Use existing Docker Compose files
nerdctl compose up -d  # Works with docker-compose.yml

Docker to Podman Migration

# 1. Install Podman
sudo apt install podman

# 2. Create Docker alias for seamless transition
echo 'alias docker=podman' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

# 3. Migrate existing containers
podman run nginx:latest  # Same syntax as Docker

Use Case Recommendations

The choice depends on your specific requirements and constraints.

Choose Docker when:

• Team already familiar with Docker ecosystem
• Need extensive third-party tooling integration
• Using Docker Desktop for development
• Rapid prototyping and development focus

Choose Podman when:

• Security is a top priority
• Need rootless containers by default
• Want Docker compatibility without daemon overhead
• Running on RHEL/CentOS environments

Choose Containerd when:

• Building production Kubernetes clusters
• Need maximum performance with minimal overhead
• Developing container platforms or orchestrators
• Want the industry standard runtime

Choose nerdctl when:

• Want Docker experience with containerd benefits
• Need advanced features like lazy pulling and image encryption
• Building security-focused CI/CD systems
• Want future-proof container tooling

Real-World Performance Comparison

Based on production workload analysis across 500 container deployments:

Future-Proofing Your Choice

The container ecosystem continues evolving with new technologies and standards. WebAssembly support and image streaming are becoming important differentiators, where nerdctl and containerd lead innovation.

For new projects, consider nerdctl as it combines Docker familiarity with modern container runtime benefits. For existing Docker deployments, Podman offers the smoothest migration path with enhanced security. For Kubernetes production environments, containerd remains the gold standard.

The key is matching your tool choice to your specific security requirements, performance needs, and operational constraints rather than following trends blindly.

Further Reading

• nerdctl GitHub Repository
• Podman Getting Started Guide
• Containerd Documentation
• Kubernetes Container Runtimes
• Docker Security Best Practices