What is Moby used for?

Moby is a modular, open-source toolkit created by Docker for assembling container-based systems, aimed at engineers and integrators rather than end users. It is a good fit for building custom container platforms, experimenting with container internals and integrating container components into products.

Yes. Moby is open source under the Apache-2.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at moby/moby and is written mainly in Go.

Yes. Moby is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host Moby?

Yes. Moby can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.

What are some alternatives to Moby?

Similar open-source tools in the Infrastructure & Containers category include Kubernetes, Rancher and Uncloud. SaaS products in the same category include Docker Desktop, Docker Hub and Amazon ECR.

Is Moby actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Moby was on 1 October 2026. The project has 72k stars on GitHub.

Moby: open-source infrastructure & containers

About Moby

The Moby Project is an open-source effort started by Docker to make software containerization faster and easier. It provides a toolkit of components, a way of combining them into tailored systems built on containers, and a space where container enthusiasts and professionals can try things out and share ideas. It is written in Go under the Apache-2.0 license.

The toolkit's parts include build tooling for containers, a registry, orchestration tools and a runtime, and they can be used as building blocks together with other tools and projects. The project is guided by four principles: modular components with well-defined APIs, batteries included but swappable, secure defaults that preserve usability, and a developer focus, with documentation aimed at developers rather than end users.

The audience is engineers, integrators and enthusiasts who want to modify, experiment with and build container-based systems. The README states it is not meant for people seeking a commercially supported system. Those who want a ready-to-use container product will generally choose a packaged distribution built on top of Moby.

Key features

Modular container components with defined APIs
Container build tools
Container registry and orchestration components
Swappable runtime and building blocks
Secure defaults without sacrificing usability
Framework for assembling custom container systems

Good fit for

→Building custom container platforms
→Experimenting with container internals
→Integrating container components into products

Built with: Go; Docker
Tags: containers; docker; golang; container-runtime; devops; infrastructure; moby; toolkit

Moby: questions and answers

What is Moby used for?: Moby is a modular, open-source toolkit created by Docker for assembling container-based systems, aimed at engineers and integrators rather than end users. It is a good fit for building custom container platforms, experimenting with container internals and integrating container components into products.
Is Moby open source?: Yes. Moby is open source under the Apache-2.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at moby/moby and is written mainly in Go.
Is Moby free?: Yes. Moby is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host Moby?: Yes. Moby can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.
What are some alternatives to Moby?: Similar open-source tools in the Infrastructure & Containers category include Kubernetes, Rancher and Uncloud. SaaS products in the same category include Docker Desktop, Docker Hub and Amazon ECR.
Is Moby actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Moby was on 1 October 2026. The project has 72k stars on GitHub.