Kubernetes vs Podman:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Kubernetes had more branded searches than Podman among containerisation platforms worldwide. Kubernetes had about 301,000 branded searches, while Podman had 74,000. Kubernetes made up 36.9% of all containerisation platform searches we track, and Podman accounted for 9.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about containerisation platforms, Kubernetes appeared in all five answers and Podman in two. Kubernetes was mentioned before Podman in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Kubernetes, about 4 searches for every 1 for Podman
Who does AI mention more?
Kubernetes, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Kubernetes, named ahead of Podman in 4 of 5 answers
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Top containerisation platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Kubernetes appeared in all five answers. Podman was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Kubernetes was listed before Podman in four out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Kubernetes1st
Docker Hub2nd
OpenShift3rd
Podman4th
HashiCorp Nomad5th
containerd6th
Rancher–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Kubernetes5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Docker Hub4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- OpenShift3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Podman2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- HashiCorp Nomad2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- containerd1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Rancher0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about containerisation platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which containerisation platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best containerisation platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best containerisation platform for app deployment?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“container platform”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“container orchestration tools”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Kubernetes or Podman more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Kubernetes and Podman by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven containerisation platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Kubernetes, Podman. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Docker Hub | Kubernetes | Podman | OpenShift | containerd | HashiCorp Nomad | Rancher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 55% | 30% | 7.4% | 6% | 0.99% | 0.54% | 0.04% |
| Nov 2025 | 49.9% | 33.4% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 1.1% | 0.6% | 0.04% |
| Dec 2025 | 54.9% | 30.1% | 7.4% | 6% | 0.99% | 0.54% | 0.03% |
| Jan 2026 | 50.6% | 33.9% | 8.3% | 5.6% | 0.91% | 0.61% | 0.04% |
| Feb 2026 | 51.5% | 34.4% | 6.9% | 5.7% | 0.93% | 0.51% | 0.04% |
| Mar 2026 | 50.1% | 33.5% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 0.9% | 0.49% | 0.04% |
| Apr 2026 | 49% | 32.8% | 9.9% | 6.6% | 1.1% | 0.59% | 0.04% |
| May 2026 | 46.6% | 38.1% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 0.84% | 0.46% | 0.04% |
| Jun 2026 | 46.6% | 38.1% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 0.84% | 0.46% | 0.03% |
| Jul 2026 | 45.1% | 36.9% | 9.1% | 7.4% | 0.99% | 0.54% | 0.05% |
| Aug 2026 | 45.7% | 37.4% | 9.2% | 6.2% | 1% | 0.45% | 0.05% |
| Sep 2026 | 45.1% | 36.9% | 9.1% | 7.4% | 0.99% | 0.44% | 0.04% |
How has the Kubernetes and Podman comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Kubernetes was ahead of Podman in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kubernetes’ share of searches among containerisation platforms worldwide moved from 30% to 36.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 368K to 301K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Podman’s share of searches among containerisation platforms worldwide moved from 7.4% to 9.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 90.5K to 74K.
How did search popularity change for containerisation platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Kubernetes lost share of searches among containerisation platforms worldwide, from 37.4% to 36.9%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Podman worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 90.5K to 74K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Kubernetes’ and Podman’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Kubernetes
1 branded search term
- kubernetes
Podman
1 branded search term
- podman
Other head-to-heads among containerisation platforms
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