Docker Compose vs Podman Compose

Learn how to use `podman-compose` to run multi-container apps, and understand the differences and limitations compared to Docker Compose.

If you’ve built multi-container applications with Docker Compose, you’ll be pleased to know that Podman offers a compatible tool: podman-compose.

It parses docker-compose.yml files and launches containers using Podman — often with minimal changes.

📦 What is podman-compose?

podman-compose is a Python-based CLI tool that:

• Uses your existing docker-compose.yml files
• Creates a Podman pod and runs each service inside it
• Tries to maintain CLI and file compatibility with Docker Compose

🛠 It’s great for local development and small deployments — but not a 1:1 drop-in replacement in all cases.

🛠 Installing podman-compose

pip3 install podman-compose

Verify installation:

podman-compose version

▶️ Running a Compose File with Podman

Assume you have this docker-compose.yml:

version: "3"
services:
  web:
    image: nginx
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
  redis:
    image: redis

Run it with:

podman-compose up

Stop it with:

podman-compose down

✅ By default, Podman Compose creates a pod named after your project and places all containers inside it.

🔍 Checking Pod Status

Check running pods and containers:

podman pod ps
podman ps

Inspect the pod:

podman pod inspect <pod-id>

⚠️ Limitations Compared to Docker Compose

🧪 Podman Compose works best with basic service definitions and standard port/volume usage. Advanced features may require tweaking or systemd integration.

🧰 Alternative: Manual Pod + Systemd

For production use, many Podman users skip Compose altogether and:

• Use podman generate systemd
• Or define services as Kubernetes YAML
• Or use Podman’s native pod support for simple service grouping

🗂 Best Practices

• Use podman-compose for local testing and development
• Prefer systemd or podman play kube for production
• Keep Compose files simple and compatible with the Compose v2 spec

Next up: Podman and Kubernetes

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