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Container Runtime and Licensing Guidance

Use this page to decide which container runtime to use for Nodinite experiments and future customer deployments, and to understand where licensing responsibility belongs.

Why This Page Exists

There are two distinct usage cases and they should be treated differently:

  • Personal testing on an individual laptop for product exploration.
  • Customer deployment to Test and PROD environments with operational and legal governance.

The same runtime choice does not always fit both cases.

Two Usage Cases, Two Decision Paths

Decision area Personal testing Customer Test and PROD
Primary goal Learn and validate quickly Run stable, governed service delivery
Recommended process Fast setup and reset Controlled rollout with change process
Runtime support expectation Best effort for local setup Contracted support model and operations ownership
Authentication baseline OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect
Active Directory sign-in in current container track ❌ Not available ❌ Not available
Deployment track today Docker (Experimental POC) Installation Guide for production track today

Licensing Boundaries You Must Distinguish

Separate the licensing conversation into two layers:

Layer What it covers Owner
Nodinite product license Product key, enabled feature packs, environment entitlement Nodinite commercial agreement
Container runtime license Docker Desktop, Docker Engine, Podman, registry/service subscriptions Customer or partner operating the environment

Nodinite does not grant or bundle Docker Desktop or Podman licenses. Those runtime terms are governed by their respective vendors.

Docker and Podman Licensing Overview

Runtime option Typical use Licensing notes Recommendation
Docker Desktop Developer workstation usage Vendor terms apply. Personal/small-business free use can be available under Docker subscription rules; paid tiers are required for many enterprise cases. Good for personal testing when terms are met
Docker Engine on Linux hosts Server runtime Open-source engine usage with your own host and operations model; enterprise support and tooling depend on your chosen distribution/vendor stack. Better aligned than Desktop for managed server scenarios
Podman Daemonless container runtime for Linux and desktop workflows Open-source project (Apache 2.0) with optional enterprise support through platform vendors. Strong strategic alternative for future customer deployments

Important

Licensing terms and thresholds can change over time. Always verify current vendor terms with procurement/legal before rollout.

Is a Personal Docker License Suitable?

For personal testing, a personal Docker Desktop license can be suitable if your usage and organization meet Docker's current eligibility terms.

For customer Test and PROD, do not assume personal terms apply. Treat runtime licensing as an enterprise procurement decision and document it in the deployment architecture.

Docker Desktop free tier vs paid tier (official summary)

Based on Docker's official Desktop licensing page, Docker Desktop is free for:

  • Personal use
  • Education
  • Non-commercial open source projects
  • Small businesses with fewer than 250 employees and less than 10 million USD annual revenue

Docker Desktop requires a paid subscription for many larger/commercial scenarios, including larger organizations and government entities.

Use these references as the source of truth before procurement decisions:

Important

For large organizations, do not treat personal POC terms as a production baseline. Validate Desktop eligibility with legal and procurement before using Docker Desktop in customer Test and PROD environments.

Why this matters for larger organizations

Larger enterprises usually have stricter software governance, procurement controls, and audit requirements. A runtime decision that is fine for an individual laptop POC can become non-compliant at organization scale.

To reduce risk, document all of the following for Test and PROD:

  • Runtime selected (Docker Desktop, Docker Engine, or Podman)
  • Applicable vendor license/subscription
  • Commercial support model and escalation path
  • Security patching and image scanning ownership
  • Registry strategy and access controls

Personal tests and POC exploration

  • Use Docker Desktop or Podman for fast local iteration.
  • Focus on evaluating Repository Model, Mapify, C4 Diagrams, and AI.
  • Request current experimental images via Nodinite support while registry onboarding is in progress.

Customer Test and PROD planning

  • Use a platform decision record that covers runtime, registry, support model, patching, and security scanning.
  • Keep identity model aligned with OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect in this container track.
  • Align Nodinite product licensing with Manage License and License Options and Feature Matrix.
  • Treat Podman as a first-class candidate for future production container operations.

Registry Status

The external container registry for customer self-service distribution is currently being set up and is not yet externally available.

Until that is available:

Next Step