podman-compose

What it is and what it does

Podman Compose is a Python script that translates Docker Compose YAML files into Podman commands, letting you orchestrate multi-container environments using Podman instead of Docker. It implements the Compose Spec and runs containers rootlessly and without a daemon—each compose command directly invokes podman, so there is no background service to manage.

The package depends only on podman, PyYAML, and python-dotenv. It supports modern Podman versions (3.4 and later) and is designed as a single-file script you can drop into your PATH. It's useful for developers who want Docker Compose-like workflows on systems using Podman, particularly in rootless or daemon-less environments.

Use it for:

• Run multi-container development stacks (databases, services, web apps) defined in docker-compose.yml files without Docker installed
• Orchestrate containers in rootless mode for improved security and user isolation
• Migrate from Docker Compose to Podman without rewriting compose files
• Set up local testing environments that match container orchestration patterns without daemon overhead
• Use standard Compose Spec files in CI/CD pipelines where Podman is the container runtime

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

Podman Compose runs Docker Compose specification files using Podman as the container backend, without requiring a daemon or root privileges.

Yes, if you use Podman and need Docker Compose compatibility. The package is actively maintained, has low install friction, and solves a real gap—running Compose files with Podman's rootless, daemon-less model. The GPL-2.0-only license is a consideration for proprietary use. No known vulnerabilities as of 2026-08-14.

Install

podman-compose on PyPI

pip install podman-compose

uv add podman-compose

poetry add podman-compose

Installing podman-compose

Before you install

Low friction: pure Python wheel with only two runtime dependencies (python-dotenv and pyyaml). Actively maintained as of 2026-06-03 with recent commits. Requires Python 3.9 or newer and podman installed on the system.

License in practice

GPL-2.0-only copyleft license: you may use and modify this package freely, but any derivative work or distribution must also be licensed under GPL-2.0-only. This is a strong copyleft obligation.

Quickstart

pip install podman-compose
podman-compose -f docker-compose.yml up

Podman must be installed on your system; Python 3.9 or newer required. The podman dnsname plugin is optional but recommended for container-to-container DNS resolution.

Verify before relying

• Exact feature parity with Docker Compose Spec—whether all compose-file v2/v3 features are fully supported
• Performance characteristics compared to docker-compose when handling large compose files or many containers

Package facts

Evidence: podman_compose-1.6.0-py3-none-any.whl

Keywords: podman, podman-compose

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