Plans, costs, and free options for Rancher Desktop
Last updated: February 2, 2026
Pricing Model
100% Free
Starting Price
$0
Free Option
Yes ✓
Rancher Desktop is completely free to use. There are no paid tiers, subscription fees, or hidden costs. You get access to all features at no charge.
Free
See how Rancher Desktop pricing compares to similar tools in Container Orchestration
| Tool | Free Tier | Starting Price | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Rancher DesktopCurrentBest Value Manage containers and Kubernetes directl... | Yes | Free | —/100 | Details → |
Kind Run local Kubernetes clusters in Docker | Yes | Free | 80/100 | Pricing → |
Podman Daemonless container management | Yes | Free | 84/100 | Pricing → |
k9sTop Rated Terminal UI to manage Kubernetes cluster... | Yes | Free | 88/100 | Pricing → |
Containerd Industry-standard container runtime | Yes | Free | 86/100 | Pricing → |
Prices shown are starting prices. Actual pricing may vary based on features and team size.
See all alternatives →Rancher Desktop is completely free to use. There are no hidden costs or paid tiers.
Yes, Rancher Desktop is entirely free to use with all features included.
Rancher Desktop is completely free, so no trial is needed.
Free or freemium alternatives include Kind, Podman, k9s. View our full comparison to find the best value.
Rancher Desktop is an open-source application and is completely free to use.
Yes, Rancher Desktop is an open-source project and is available for free.