AppBreakup
Submit an app
Lima logo

Lima

Open-source command-line tool that launches Linux VMs with file sharing and port forwarding, mainly on macOS.

Open sourceVirtual machine and container apps
Visit LimaSee 5 alternatives
Verified facts
5 of 5
Alternatives ranked
5
Approved reviews
0
Visits sent from here
0

About Lima

Lima starts Linux virtual machines from the command line and wires them up the way developers expect: your home folder is shared into the VM and ports opened inside it are forwarded to the host automatically, much like WSL2 on Windows. It began as a way to bring containerd and nerdctl to Mac users, and it ships templates for Docker, Podman and Kubernetes, so a Docker Desktop user can point the regular docker CLI at a Lima VM instead. It can also run plain Linux environments for builds, testing or AI agents, with guests such as Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Alpine and Arch, and it can emulate Intel on ARM or the reverse. Lima is the engine underneath Colima, Rancher Desktop and AWS's Finch, so choosing it directly trades their convenience for more control over the VM configuration in YAML. It is free, Apache-2.0 licensed and a Cloud Native Computing Foundation incubating project. It installs through Homebrew, MacPorts or Nix and runs on macOS and Linux, with other hosts untested. There is no official GUI.

Best for: Mac developers who want a free, scriptable Linux VM for containers without Docker Desktop.

Pros and cons

What works

  • Free and Apache-2.0 licensed with no commercial-use fees
  • Automatic file sharing and port forwarding between host and VM
  • Templates for containerd, Docker, Podman and Kubernetes
  • Runs Intel guests on Apple silicon and ARM guests on Intel

Why people leave

  • Command-line and YAML only, with no official GUI
  • Using the docker CLI needs a template and a DOCKER_HOST setting
  • Windows and BSD hosts are listed as untested

Top Lima alternatives

See all 5
  1. 1Colima logo
    Colima

    Built on Lima but preconfigured for Docker and k3s, so one command gives a working docker CLI without editing YAML.

    68.8
  2. 2OrbStack logo
    OrbStack

    Native Mac app with faster file sharing and a GUI for containers and Linux machines, paid for commercial use.

    64.8
  3. 3Rancher Desktop logo
    Rancher Desktop

    Free GUI on top of Lima that adds Kubernetes version switching and a choice of dockerd or containerd.

    61.8
  4. 4Docker Desktop logo
    Docker Desktop

    The official Docker app with a GUI and extensions, for teams that want vendor support over a DIY VM.

    59.4
  5. 5UTM logo
    UTM

    GUI virtual machine manager for Mac when you want full desktop Linux or Windows VMs rather than headless ones.

    57.5

Why people left Lima

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

No switching stories yet. If you moved away from Lima, review the app you switched to and tell us why.

Reviews

No approved reviews yet. How we verify reviewers

Write a review of Lima
Your rating of Lima

Never shown publicly. A work email helps us verify you.

What did you use it for, and what was good or bad? At least 40 characters.

A GitHub username, your company domain, or say you can send a screenshot. Verified reviews count more.

By submitting, you confirm you're at least 16 and agree to our terms. Your name, rating, review and the date are published; your email isn't. See our privacy policy.

Lima: common questions

Is Lima free?

Yes. Lima is free, open-source software.

Is Lima open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at lima-vm/lima.

What platforms does Lima run on?

Lima is available for macOS and Linux.

What are the best alternatives to Lima?

The highest-ranked Lima alternatives right now are Colima, OrbStack and Rancher Desktop. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Lima alternatives