OrbStack runs containers and Linux virtual machines on macOS, according to its product page.
Tart
Tart builds, runs, and manages macOS and Linux virtual machines, with remote storage and integrations such as GitHub and GitLab.
About Tart
Tart is a virtualization toolset for building, running, and managing macOS and Linux virtual machines on Apple Silicon. It uses Apple's Virtualization.Framework, which the homepage describes as developed alongside the first M1 chip. Virtual machine images can be stored in OCI-compatible container registries, and the homepage says you can work with them much as you would Docker containers.
Tart integrates with continuous integration systems, including GitHub Actions and GitLab. For larger deployments, the Orchard Orchestration component runs and manages Tart virtual machines across a cluster of Apple Silicon hosts. The homepage says the Orchard API can manage large numbers of virtual machines, and that the Orchard CLI lets users access remote virtual machines as if they ran locally. The homepage lists CI/CD pipelines, local development environments, and testing of device management systems as use cases. Registry storage relies on an external service, and Orchard requires Apple Silicon hosts.
Key features
- Builds, runs, and manages macOS and Linux virtual machines on Apple Silicon
- Uses Apple's Virtualization.Framework for native performance
- Stores virtual machine images in OCI-compatible container registries
- Integrates with continuous integration systems including GitHub Actions and GitLab
- Orchard Orchestration runs and manages virtual machines across Apple Silicon host clusters
- Orchard CLI provides access to remote virtual machines as if they run locally
Best for: Teams that run macOS or Linux virtual machines on Apple Silicon for CI/CD pipelines, reproducible development environments, or device management testing.
Good for
- Uses Apple's native Virtualization.Framework, which the homepage says ensures smooth performance
- Works with OCI-compatible container registries, so VM images can be handled like Docker containers
- Integrates with CI systems including GitHub Actions and GitLab
Watch out for
- Runs only on Apple Silicon hardware, according to the homepage
- Remote image storage depends on external OCI-compatible container registries
- Orchard Orchestration requires a cluster of Apple Silicon hosts
Tart at a glance
- Website
- tart.run
- Category
- Software & Utilities › Linux Apps
- Type
- Website
- Pricing
- Not confirmed. Check the site
- Platforms
- Linux, macOS, Web
- Open source
- Not stated
- Language
- English
- Last checked
- Oct 6, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
Tart alternatives
Tools and sites you could use instead, ranked by how closely they match.
Tart builds, runs, and manages macOS and Linux virtual machines on Apple Silicon for CI and other automation.
Distrobox runs Linux distributions inside containers and provides documentation and downloads.
WinApps runs Windows applications such as Microsoft Office or Adobe software on Linux and integrates them with GNOME or KDE.
redroid runs Android in a multi-architecture cloud environment with GPU support, according to its documentation.
Atuin synchronizes, searches, and backs up shell history with end-to-end encryption on macOS, Linux, and Windows.
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Tart FAQ
What hardware does Tart run on?
The homepage states that Tart runs macOS and Linux virtual machines on Apple Silicon.
Where are Tart virtual machine images stored?
Tart integrates with OCI-compatible container registries for storing virtual machine images.
How can Tart manage virtual machines at scale?
The Orchard Orchestration tool, included in the Tart toolset, runs and manages Tart virtual machines on a cluster of Apple Silicon hosts and exposes a REST API.
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