OrbStack is an app currently in beta that aims to provide better performance for users of Docker and Linux virtual machines on the Mac. Its designers promise spectacular gains, especially for Docker, which has suffered from performance problems in the past, especially on models with Apple Silicon. Even if these problems have been partially corrected, the official Docker app is still designed for all operating systems, it relies on Electron for its interface… in short, it is not designed exclusively for the Mac.
On the other hand, this is the case of OrbStack, an app which is not offered on any platform other than that of Apple. Its designers have thus used native code for the interface and the app weighs much less once installed: less than 360 MB on my Mac Studio, against more than 2 GB for Docker. They also highlight impressive performance gains in all areas compared to the official Docker app: a launch time divided by 7.5 (2 seconds against 15) or even a use of RAM divided by more of 11 (less than 700 MB against 8 GB).
When a virtual machine does not use the processor, the CPU load should also be close to 0 with OrbStack, while Docker can use up to 25% of the processor, again according to the developers. Finally, the network communication between the Mac and the virtual containers would be 17 times higher, with performance reaching 34 Gbps. These figures are impressive, even if the developers do not detail the methodologies, which complicates verifications. The more curious can, however, learn a little more about the internal workings of the app. at this address.
This detailed support sheet some concrete differences between Docker Desktop for macOS and OrbStack. We note in the list the default management of Rosetta to run x86 code on Apple Silicon Macs and additional comfort functions, such as two-way file sharing. Concretely, the storage volume of virtual machines is easily accessible from the Finder and you can access Mac data from virtual machines, without having to configure anything. IPv6 addresses are also correctly managed and RAM and storage are managed on demand, it is not necessary to block them upstream.
All these advantages can be tested easily by installing OrbStack, which is free during its beta phase. It is not even necessary to create an account or leave an email, you can get the version that corresponds to your Mac at this address and use it immediately. The final version will be chargeable, with an economic model which is not yet fixed, but which seems move towards a subscription. However, there should be offers for companies and others for individual users, probably with very different prices.
OrbStack requires macOS 12.4 at least and its interface is not translated into French.
