Incus
Incus: A free, open-source manager for containers and VMs on Linux infrastructure. Ranked #6 of 31 in Container Engines by our editors (8.7/10); pricing: Free plan; best for modern container and VM management.
At a glance
- Editor score8.7 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forModern container and VM management
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Rootless modeYes
- Founded2023
- Facts checked22 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Manages system containers, OCI application containers, and virtual machines
- Includes clustering, snapshots, backups, image transfer, and remote access
- Offers detailed resource controls and device passthrough options
Where it doesn't
- The Incus daemon runs on Linux
- Windows and macOS provide clients rather than server support
- Its broad scope may exceed the needs of container-only teams
Our verdict on Incus
Incus brings system containers, OCI application containers, and virtual machines into one management layer. It is aimed at developers, infrastructure teams, and operators managing Linux-based workloads across local, remote, clustered, or self-hosted environments. The project provides command-line and REST API access for creating, configuring, running, migrating, backing up, and administering instances. Its scope suits teams that want containers and VMs managed through a common model rather than separate tools.
The published product details describe Incus as free and open-source software under the Apache 2 license. Its daemon runs on Linux, while client binaries are available for Linux, Windows, and macOS. The platform also exposes an API for local and remote access and connects with OCI registries, Docker Hub, and Colima. Image support covers Linux distribution images and OCI application container images, with image publishing, transfer, and remote image server capabilities for teams managing their own image workflows.
Incus stands out through breadth: clustering, configurable storage backends, network management, snapshots, backup and recovery, image operations, and controls for CPU, memory, network, block I/O, disk, and kernel resources are all part of the management surface. Device passthrough extends to USB, GPU, NICs, disks, and paths. That range makes it a strong fit for modern container and VM management, especially where infrastructure control matters. Teams seeking only a lightweight container runtime may prefer a narrower tool, while organizations operating Linux servers and mixed container-VM workloads are more likely to benefit from Incus.
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Incus pricing
Incus fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Rootless mode | Yes |
| Image building | Yes |
| Kubernetes CRI | Not verified |
| Windows containers | Not verified |
| Image format | Oci |
| Runtime interface | Other |
| Supported host OS | Linux |
| Deployment | Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Support | Community, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 5 integrations: Ansible, Terraform, OpenTofu, Packer, Kubernetes Cluster API See all → |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | linuxcontainers.org |
| Facts checked | 22 Sep 2026 |
Incus integrations
Incus lists 5 integrations on its own site.
- Ansible
- Terraform
- OpenTofu
- Packer
- Kubernetes Cluster API
Alternatives to Incus
- Docker EngineA broad container engine for building, running, and managing applications across major platforms.9.4
- PodmanA free, Docker-compatible container engine with rootless execution and Kubernetes YAML support.9.2
- containerdA focused open-source runtime for Kubernetes and production infrastructure.9.0
Incus vs the competition
- Incus vs Docker Engine
- Incus vs Podman
- Incus vs containerd
- Incus vs Moby
- Incus vs LXD
- Incus vs SingularityCE
Compare Incus with any tool side by side →
Also Ranked In
Incus is ranked in 2 of our directories.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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