OrbStack on macOS – Install and First Container

Use at your own risk. All guides and scripts are provided for educational purposes only. Always review and understand any code before running it — especially with administrative privileges. Test in a safe environment before using in production. Your system, your responsibility.

OrbStack is a fast, lightweight Docker runtime for macOS. It replaces Docker Desktop — uses the same Docker CLI and compose.yml files — but starts in seconds and uses far less RAM. If you’re running containers on a Mac, this is the setup to use.

Requirements

macOS 13 Ventura or later
Apple Silicon or Intel Mac
Homebrew installed

Step 1 – Install OrbStack

brew install --cask orbstack

Or download directly from orbstack.dev.

Open OrbStack from Applications or Spotlight. On first launch it installs its helper and sets up the Docker socket automatically. A menu bar icon appears when it’s ready.

Step 2 – Verify Docker is working

docker --version
docker compose version

Run a quick test:

docker run hello-world

If you see the Hello from Docker message — everything is working.

Step 3 – Run your first real container

Start an Nginx web server:

docker run -d -p 8080:80 --name my-nginx nginx

Open http://localhost:8080 — you should see the Nginx welcome page.

Stop and remove it:

docker stop my-nginx
docker rm my-nginx

Step 4 – Run an interactive container

docker run -it ubuntu bash

Inside the container:

apt update && apt install -y curl
curl --version
exit

Step 5 – Docker Compose

OrbStack is fully compatible with Docker Compose. Your existing compose.yml files work without any changes:

cd ~/docker/your-project
docker compose up -d
docker compose logs -f
docker compose down

Useful commands

Command	What it does
`docker ps`	List running containers
`docker ps -a`	List all containers including stopped
`docker images`	List downloaded images
`docker stop name`	Stop a container
`docker rm name`	Remove a container
`docker rmi image`	Remove an image
`docker logs name`	View container logs

Notes

OrbStack automatically replaces Docker Desktop — no extra configuration needed
Existing images and containers are imported automatically if you had Docker Desktop before
Free for personal use — a paid license is required for commercial use
The OrbStack menu bar icon gives quick access to running containers, resource usage, and the built-in dashboard