Self-hosted virtualization

Image in. Virtual machine out.

Self-hosted virtualization that turns any Linux cloud image or Docker image into a full, isolated machine on your own hardware. Sealed, simple, reversible in one reboot.

Download Lite See how it works ↓

Virtainer HOST node-01

web-01 VM up 5d

edge-01 AppVM up 12d

nginx-proxy AppVM ↑ new build

db-replica VM up 30d

test-sandbox VM stopped

✔ system: sealed image · rev 0.10.1 · rollback ready

Features

Three standouts, plus the essentials.

AppVM

Container-easy. Machine-safe.

Run any Docker image as a real, isolated machine, fully walled off from everything around it.

Auto-restart Resource limits Sealed secrets Health checks

BringDocker imageor Dockerfile / Git

BootIn secondsas a real machine

RunIsolated machineits own kernel

○Container

shares the host kernel

✔AppVM

its own kernel

Atomic updates

Upgrade like a switch. Undo just as fast.

A sealed, read-only system. Roll forward or back in one reboot.

Can't half-finish Zero drift Auto checkpoint

● rev Nlivesealed

swap · atomic →

← roll back · 1 reboot

rev N+1newsealed

previous system always rollback-ready

Simple stack

No Kubernetes. No plugin sprawl.

The whole stack is one thing to run. No Kubernetes, and no CRI, CNI, or CSI plugins to wire up and keep alive.

Fewer moving parts Less to break Easy to operate

The usual

✕Kubernetes

✕CRI

✕CNI

✕CSI

Virtainer

✔One simple stack

nothing to bolt on

Everything else a host needs

Two machine types

A full Linux server, or any Docker image as a real isolated machine. One at a time, in batches, or from a saved template.

VMfull Linux

AppVMDocker image

Resilient storage

Pool your drives with redundancy so a dead disk loses nothing, and get warned before one fails.

Bridged networking

Each machine gets a real spot on your network over a Linux L2 bridge, with optional anti-spoofing and port isolation.

vmvmvm

vmbr0 · L2 bridge

Resource control

Cap CPU, memory, and disk I/O per machine, and oversubscribe safely.

CPU

MEM

I/O

$0 forever, on Lite

1→N one host to a cluster

1 reboot to roll back

0 vendor phone-home

Pricing

Lite is free. Basic is coming soon.

Install the complete single-host appliance today. Lite is the single-host edition, in beta and free; Basic is a separate edition for running a multi-host cluster, coming soon and priced when it ships.

Virtainer Edition Beta · available now

Lite

$0 forever

For one physical server, labs, pilots, and teams that want real VM isolation without per-core licensing.

✔Full Linux machines + AppVM
✔Atomic updates & one-reboot rollback
✔In-browser terminal and SSH
✔Resilient storage & disk warnings
✔Network isolation & anti-spoofing
✔Batch create & reusable templates

No trial clock. No paid gates inside Lite.

Get Lite free

Roadmap only Coming soon

Basic

Priced at launch

The edition for running a multi-host cluster as one system. A separate edition, coming soon.

For a multi-host cluster

＋Manage a multi-host cluster from one place
＋Recover workloads after host failure
＋Move workloads between hosts

Ask about Basic

Official Virtainer support for Lite is free of charge through December 31, 2027.

Who it's for

Two editions. Two jobs.

Lite — one server

The tinkerer & home server

A serious platform without the cost or the labyrinth. Lite is free, forever.

Basic — multi-host cluster (coming soon)

Teams running a fleet

Workloads that survive a failed server, managed from one place. A separate edition for clusters.

Questions

Common questions.

Is Virtainer free?

Virtainer Lite is free forever and currently in public beta. It runs an unlimited mix of VMs and AppVMs on a single host you own, with no per-VM licensing and no vendor phone-home.

What is the difference between a VM and an AppVM?

A VM boots a full Linux cloud image. An AppVM takes any Docker or OCI image and runs it as a real, hardware-isolated machine, so a container workload gets machine-grade isolation without you converting anything by hand.

Do I need Kubernetes or a separate control plane?

No. Virtainer Lite runs on a single host with no Kubernetes and no plugin sprawl. You install one host appliance and manage every VM and AppVM from its built-in web UI.

How do I roll back a host upgrade?

Host upgrades are an atomic bootc image switch. If an upgrade looks wrong, a single reboot rolls the host back to the previous image, so a change is reversible in one reboot.

Can Virtainer run across multiple hosts?

Multi-host clustering is the upcoming Basic edition, a separate product for teams running a fleet. Lite is single-host today, with workloads movable between hosts on Basic.