ArcBox vs OrbStack
How ArcBox compares to OrbStack, and how to migrate.
Comparison
| ArcBox | OrbStack | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free (core + desktop) | Free for personal, paid for commercial |
| Open source | Core runtime is MIT/Apache-2.0 | Proprietary |
| Cold start | ~300ms | ~500ms |
| File I/O | >90% native | 75–95% native |
| Idle memory | <150 MB | ~180 MB |
| Account required | No | No |
| Linux machines | Built-in | Built-in |
| Sandboxes | Built-in | Not available |
| Docker compatibility | Full | Full |
| Kubernetes | Pod/service viewer | Full cluster |
| GUI framework | SwiftUI | AppKit |
.local domains | .arcbox | .orb |
What's Better in ArcBox
- Open-source core — inspect, audit, and contribute to the runtime
- Faster container startup — ~300ms cold start vs ~500ms
- Better file I/O — >90% native vs 75–95%
- Sandboxes — disposable development environments from templates
- No commercial license required for small-team use
- Transparent architecture — documented, auditable, forkable
What OrbStack Has That ArcBox Doesn't
- Intel Mac support
- Full Kubernetes cluster (ArcBox provides a viewer, not a cluster)
- Longer track record — more mature product with a larger user base
- Docker Desktop migration wizard — automated migration tool
- NFS/SMB file sharing for machines
Migrate from OrbStack
Install ArcBox
Install ArcBox Desktop. Keep OrbStack installed until verified.
Stop OrbStack
Quit OrbStack from the menu bar.
Recreate Workloads
Pull images and start containers. Compose files work without changes.
For OrbStack Linux machines, create equivalents in ArcBox:
arcbox machine create --name dev --cpus 4 --memory 4gUninstall OrbStack (Optional)
rm -rf ~/.orbstack
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/OrbStackThen remove OrbStack from Applications.