OpenShift vs Podman:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Podman had more branded searches than OpenShift among container platforms worldwide. Podman had about 74,000 branded searches, while OpenShift had 60,500. Podman made up 10.4% of all container platform searches we track, and OpenShift accounted for 8.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about container platforms, OpenShift appeared in three of the five answers and Podman in none.
Who do people search for more?
Podman, about 22% more searches than OpenShift
Who does AI mention more?
OpenShift, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Podman in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
OpenShift, the only one of the two named
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Top container platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, OpenShift was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Podman did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
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
Docker5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Google Cloud Run3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- OpenShift3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Azure Container Apps3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Amazon ECS3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
HashiCorp Nomad1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Podman0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
containerd0 of 5Named in 0 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 container platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which container platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best container platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best container platform for application deployment?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“container platform”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“container orchestration platform”
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 OpenShift or Podman more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for OpenShift and Podman by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten container platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Podman, OpenShift. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Kubernetes | Docker | Google Cloud Run | Podman | OpenShift | Azure Container Apps | containerd | Amazon ECS | Rancher | HashiCorp Nomad |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 54.8% | 4% | 10.1% | 13.5% | 11% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 0.89% | 0.98% |
| Nov 2025 | 54.2% | 4% | 11.3% | 13.3% | 10.9% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.97% | 0.72% | 0.97% |
| Dec 2025 | 44.2% | 19.8% | 11.2% | 10.9% | 8.9% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.79% | 0.59% | 0.79% |
| Jan 2026 | 55.5% | 4.1% | 11.6% | 13.7% | 9.1% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 1% | 0.76% | 1% |
| Feb 2026 | 17.4% | 70.8% | 3.6% | 3.5% | 2.9% | 0.57% | 0.47% | 0.31% | 0.24% | 0.25% |
| Mar 2026 | 19.7% | 65.3% | 4.1% | 4.8% | 4% | 0.65% | 0.53% | 0.35% | 0.28% | 0.29% |
| Apr 2026 | 50.2% | 4.5% | 13.8% | 15.1% | 10.1% | 2% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 0.7% | 0.9% |
| May 2026 | 57.7% | 4.2% | 12% | 11.6% | 9.5% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 0.85% | 0.64% | 0.69% |
| Jun 2026 | 57.5% | 4.2% | 12% | 11.6% | 9.5% | 1.9% | 1.3% | 0.84% | 0.62% | 0.69% |
| Jul 2026 | 52.5% | 4.7% | 13.4% | 12.9% | 10.6% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 0.94% | 0.71% | 0.77% |
| Aug 2026 | 54.4% | 4% | 13.8% | 13.4% | 8.9% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 0.98% | 0.61% | 0.65% |
| Sep 2026 | 42.4% | 23.2% | 10.8% | 10.4% | 8.5% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 0.76% | 0.56% | 0.51% |
How has the OpenShift and Podman comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Podman was ahead of OpenShift in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OpenShift’s share of searches among container platforms worldwide moved from 11% to 8.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 74K to 60.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Podman’s share of searches among container platforms worldwide moved from 13.5% to 10.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 90.5K to 74K.
How did search popularity change for container platforms worldwide in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Docker overtook Google Cloud Run and 2 others to rank 2nd among container platforms worldwide, with 23.2% of the searches.
In September 2026, Podman lost share of searches among container platforms worldwide, from 13.4% to 10.4%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for OpenShift worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 74K to 60.5K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using OpenShift’s 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.
Other head-to-heads among container platforms
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