As a business owner, your primary concern is ensuring that your applications run smoothly, reliably, and cost-effectively. Whether they run onDocker orPodman is a technical detail—what truly matters is uptime, security, and cost efficiency. WhileDocker is the most widely used container engine,Podman has been gaining traction due to its security features, reliability, and open-source advantages. But should your business care about switching to Podman?

In this blog, we break downwhy businesses are adopting Podman and how it can impactcost, reliability, security, and flexibility.

What is Podman and How is it Different from Docker?

Podman (Pod Manager) is a container management tool similar to Docker butdaemonless, meaning it runs containers as individual processes without requiring a central service (dockerd). It followsOpen Container Initiative (OCI) standards, ensuring compatibility with Docker images and registries.

Key Differences Between Podman and Docker

Because Podman isdaemonless, containers run asindependent processes, preventing a single point of failure. Additionally,rootless execution allows containers to run securely without administrative privileges, making Podman a preferred choice for security-focused enterprises.

What is Daemonless and How Does Podman Userunc?

Adaemonless architecture means there isno always-running central background service (daemon) managing containers. Unlike Docker, which usesdockerd as a central process,Podman runs containers as direct child processes of the user, improving security and reducing failure risks.

BothDocker and Podman userunc to run containers. Here’s how:

• Docker Architecture:

  1. User runs a container withdocker run.
  2. dockerd (Docker daemon) forwards the request tocontainerd.
  3. containerd callsrunc to actually create and start the container.
  4. runc runs the container but remains dependent ondockerd.
  5. Ifdockerd crashes, all containers stop.

• Podman Architecture:

  1. User runs a container withpodman run.
  2. Podmandirectly callsrunc, without needing a daemon.
  3. Each container runsas an independent process.
  4. If Podman itself crashes, the containerskeep running because they are separate from Podman’s execution.

Business Impact:More reliability, no single point of failure, and fewer security risks.

History of Podman and OCI

Podman was developed byRed Hat as part of thelibpod project, and it is now widely used in enterprise Linux environments such asRed Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and Fedora.

The Open Container Initiative (OCI)

• Founded in2015 by Docker Inc. along with Red Hat, Google, Microsoft, and other industry leaders.
• Created tostandardize container images and runtimes to avoid vendor lock-in.
• Defines two main specifications:
  1. OCI Image Specification – Defines a standard format for container images.
  2. OCI Runtime Specification – Defines how container runtimes (likerunc) should work.

Podman followsOCI standards, ensuring compatibility with Docker images while providing a more secure and flexible alternative.

Managing Podman on Debian (With Examples)

Installing Podman on Debian

sudoapt update&&sudoaptinstallpodman-y

Running a Container

podman run-d-p 8080:80--name myweb nginx

Access the web server athttp://localhost:8080.

Managing Containers

podman ps# List running containerspodman stop myweb# Stop the containerpodmanrmmyweb# Remove the container

Final Verdict: Should Your Business Use Podman?

✅If you only care about running applications and security, Docker works fine for now. However you're vendor locked and Docker might adjusts its pricing model anytime.

✅If you want to lower costs, improve reliability, and prepare for future growth, Podman is a smarter investment as it is completely open-source.

✅If your company deals with sensitive data (finance, healthcare, legal), Podman is the safer choice.

Would you switch immediately?Not necessarily.

But isPodman worth considering as part of a long-term business strategy?Absolutely.

What’s Next?

If you’re running a business and considering the best container technology, explore Podman as analternative to Docker. Thecost savings, reliability, and security improvements might make a significant impact on your operations.