Davit

What it does

Davit is a native macOS application that provides a graphical user interface for Apple's open-source container platform. It communicates directly with Apple's container daemon over XPC, the same wire path used by the command-line interface, without any intermediate layers like Electron, web views, or background agents. The app allows users to manage containers, images, volumes, networks, and registries, as well as build images from Dockerfiles and import Docker Compose files.

Key features include:

• Container management: Start, stop, restart, and delete containers with live CPU, memory, and IP display. Streaming logs with follow and boot mode, live stat charts, and raw config inspection.
• One-click terminal: Open an interactive shell in any running container directly into Terminal or iTerm via the native API, no CLI needed.
• Edit & Recreate: Since containers are immutable, Davit prefills a new container from the old configuration, allowing users to change ports, environment variables, mounts, or resources in seconds.
• In-container files: Browse any running container's filesystem, navigate folders, download files to the Mac, upload, or delete—all over the native API.
• Compose import: Open a docker-compose.yml file and Davit shows exactly what it will create: services in dependency order, volumes, networks, the equivalent CLI command per service, and honest warnings for anything unsupported. Then it starts the whole stack in one click.
• Build from a Dockerfile: Pick a context folder, set a tag, and hit Build. Davit drives Apple's BuildKit builder directly, starting it if needed, and the image lands in the library.
• Images, volumes, networks: Pull with live progress, run from any image, tag, prune. Create sized volumes and custom subnets. See what's in use before deleting.
• Registry logins: Sign in to Docker Hub, ghcr.io, quay.io, or any registry to pull private images. Credentials are verified on the spot and stored in the login keychain, shared with the container CLI.
• Platform settings: Default CPU/memory for new containers, registry, DNS, builder resources; edited in the app, validated by the platform's own config loader, saved as clean TOML overrides.
• Installs the platform for you: If no container platform is installed, Davit downloads Apple's signed installer, verifies it, and sets everything up in the user Library—no administrator rights needed. It can also add the container CLI to the shell.

The app is built entirely in SwiftUI, with menu bar quick actions, a Dock icon only when desired, and live charts that don't spin up a browser to render.

Who it is for

Davit is designed for macOS developers and system administrators who want to use Apple's container platform without relying on the command line. It is particularly suited for users who:

• Prefer a native, lightweight GUI over Docker Desktop or OrbStack.
• Work primarily with OCI images and Docker Compose files.
• Need to manage containers, images, volumes, and networks on Apple Silicon Macs.
• Want a free, open-source alternative to commercial container management tools.

However, it is not a drop-in replacement for Docker Desktop. Users whose workflows depend on the Docker API (e.g., testcontainers, tools expecting /var/run/docker.sock, CI scripts using docker CLI) will find it incompatible. Davit is best for interactive use cases like running containers, composing stacks, and building images.

Why it matters

Davit addresses the need for a native, efficient, and free UI for Apple's container platform. Unlike Docker Desktop, which runs a large Linux VM and uses Electron, Davit is a 17 MB SwiftUI app that communicates directly with Apple's daemon via XPC. This results in a smaller footprint: no always-on multi-gigabyte VM, no background services of its own, and per-container lightweight VMs that boot in under a second and tear down when containers stop. With nothing running, the platform's background services idle at roughly 25 MB.

Davit also simplifies setup by automatically installing Apple's container platform without admin rights, making it accessible to users who might otherwise avoid containerization due to complexity. Its support for Docker Compose import and private registry logins lowers the barrier for migrating from Docker Desktop.

Launch signal

Davit is available as an open-source project on GitHub under the MIT license. It can be downloaded from the Releases page or installed via Homebrew with brew install wouterdebie/tap/davit. The app is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple, ensuring it opens without Gatekeeper warnings. The project is actively maintained, with the latest version at the time of writing being 0.1.8.

Brand and naming

The name 'Davit' is short and distinctive, but its connection to container management is not immediately obvious, which may hinder memorability for new users. The tagline 'Apple Containers UI' is descriptive but lacks punch. The domain davit.app is ideal, and the name's brevity aids recall, though it may be mistaken for a person's name. Positioning is clear: a native, lightweight UI for Apple's container platform, differentiating from Docker Desktop with direct XPC communication and no Electron. However, the name doesn't convey the product's purpose, weakening instant brand recognition.