Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Ubuntu Touch VS Podman

Compare Ubuntu Touch VS Podman and see what are their differences

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Ubuntu Touch logo Ubuntu Touch

Read more about Ubuntu Touch. Our free and open source mobile OS is made and maintained by UBports! We care about your freedom and privacy.

Podman logo Podman

Simple debugging tool for pods and images
  • Ubuntu Touch Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-12-18
  • Podman Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-30

Ubuntu Touch features and specs

  • Open Source
    Ubuntu Touch is an open-source project, which means its source code is freely available for anyone to inspect, modify, and improve. This can lead to enhanced security and flexibility.
  • Privacy-focused
    Ubuntu Touch places a strong emphasis on privacy and does not track user data. This can be appealing for users who are concerned about data privacy and security.
  • No Bloatware
    Unlike many other mobile operating systems, Ubuntu Touch does not come pre-loaded with unnecessary applications, providing a cleaner, more efficient user experience.
  • Convergence
    Ubuntu Touch aims for seamless convergence between devices, allowing for a more unified experience across smartphones, tablets, and desktops.
  • Community Support
    The operating system is backed by a strong community of developers and users who contribute to its development, provide support, and create a variety of applications.

Possible disadvantages of Ubuntu Touch

  • Limited App Availability
    The app ecosystem for Ubuntu Touch is significantly smaller than that of Android or iOS, which may limit the choice and availability of popular applications.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    Ubuntu Touch is only compatible with a limited number of devices. This can make it difficult for users to find supported hardware.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users report that Ubuntu Touch may not be as smooth or performant as other operating systems, especially on older or lower-end devices.
  • Learning Curve
    Users who are accustomed to Android or iOS might find Ubuntu Touch's user interface and functionalities different and potentially challenging to adapt to initially.
  • Limited Commercial Support
    There is limited commercial support for Ubuntu Touch. Users primarily rely on community support, which might not be sufficient for all needs, especially in a business environment.

Podman features and specs

  • Daemonless Architecture
    Podman does not require a daemon to run containers, which simplifies its architecture and minimizes the potential attack surface.
  • Rootless Containers
    Podman allows running containers as a non-root user, enhancing security by reducing the risk associated with running processes as the root user.
  • Kubernetes Support
    Podman has built-in support for Kubernetes, enabling easier transition and orchestration of containers at scale.
  • Compatibility with Docker CLI
    Podman provides a Docker-compatible command line interface, making it easy for users to migrate from Docker with minimal changes to their workflows.
  • Enhanced Security
    With features like user namespaces and no central daemon, Podman offers improved security compared to traditional container runtimes.
  • Open Source
    Podman is an open-source project, which provides transparency and community-driven development.

Possible disadvantages of Podman

  • Limited Ecosystem
    The ecosystem around Podman is not as extensive as that of Docker, potentially limiting the availability of third-party tools and integrations.
  • Learning Curve
    Users familiar with Docker may face a learning curve when adapting to some of Podmanโ€™s unique features and CLI differences.
  • Performance Overhead
    Running rootless containers can introduce some performance overhead due to the additional layers of user namespace translation.
  • Less Mature
    Podman is relatively newer compared to Docker, which means it might not be as battle-tested in enterprise environments.
  • Inconsistent Behavior
    Certain Podman features may behave differently than Docker, which might lead to unexpected issues during container management and automation.

Analysis of Ubuntu Touch

Overall verdict

  • Ubuntu Touch is a compelling choice for tech enthusiasts and privacy-conscious users who are comfortable with Linux-based systems and appreciate open-source software. It is not as polished or app-rich as mainstream mobile operating systems like iOS or Android due to its smaller market share and developer base. Therefore, while it may not be suitable for everyone, particularly those reliant on mainstream app ecosystems, it provides a viable, privacy-focused alternative for users willing to embrace its unique attributes.

Why this product is good

  • Ubuntu Touch is a mobile operating system based on Ubuntu Linux, developed by UBports. It is designed to be open-source, privacy-focused, and offers a unique convergence feature that allows users to connect their devices to a keyboard, mouse, and monitor to use it as a desktop computer. It is particularly appealing to users who value data privacy, software transparency, and who support open-source ecosystems. Ubuntu Touch also allows users to escape the iOS and Android duopoly, offering an alternative that aligns with open-source principles. Additionally, the OS is known for its customizable user interface, the ability to run Linux applications, and its supportive community.

Recommended for

  • Tech enthusiasts who are experienced with Linux
  • Privacy-conscious users seeking an alternative to Android and iOS
  • Supporters of open-source software and communities
  • Users interested in a convergence feature to transform their mobile device into a desktop experience
  • Developers and hobbyists seeking a platform for experimentation

Analysis of Podman

Overall verdict

  • Podman is a solid option for users seeking a secure, flexible, and rootless alternative to Docker. It performs efficiently and provides strong compatibility with existing container management workflows.

Why this product is good

  • Podman is considered a good tool due to its daemonless architecture, which enhances security and provides more flexibility in container management. Unlike Docker, Podman can run containers under rootless mode, allowing non-root users to manage containers and reducing the attack surface. Podman's compatibility with Docker command-line interface (CLI) and its ability to run in a Kubernetes-like environment using pods make it versatile for diverse container management tasks.

Recommended for

  • Developers and system administrators who require a rootless container management solution.
  • Teams focused on security and minimal permissions for container management.
  • Organizations looking to integrate container management closely with Kubernetes without relying on Docker.
  • Users who are comfortable with command-line interface tools and container technologies.

Ubuntu Touch videos

REVIEW: Ubuntu Touch Smartphone OS!

More videos:

  • Review - Ubuntu Touch OS - Community Requested Overview
  • Review - Ubuntu Touch OS Review || Amazing Feautures || MultiTasking || Latest Version 2020 || Must Watch..

Podman videos

PODMAN vs DOCKER - should you switch now?

More videos:

  • Review - Actually, podman Might Be Better Than docker
  • Review - Container (Podman) Review - Kominfo PROA Training Lab 2

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Ubuntu Touch and Podman)
Mobile OS
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Mobile SDK
100 100%
0% 0
Cloud Computing
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Ubuntu Touch and Podman

Ubuntu Touch Reviews

Top 5 Mobile Operating Systems 2023 (Alternatives to Android)
With this one, you will get everything you need such as all the different types of applications services purposes like communication, music, messaging, navigation, games, and so forth. In this, privacy is ensured. Some of the key pros and cons of Ubuntu Touch are-
Best Open Source Android Alternative OS for Smartphones
It is also capable of functioning as a desktop computer in โ€œdesktop modeโ€. The Ubuntu Touch OS also comes with all basic pre-loaded apps like messaging, calendar, Telegram, music app, weather, maps, and more. Overall, this OS is quite good and can be customized according to the smartphone manufacturer and user need.
Android Alternative: Top 12 Mobile Operating Systems
The UBports community also claims that none of your data leaves your device unless you explicitly allow it which is a good thing from the privacy point of view. Currently, Ubuntu Touch supports PinePhone, PineTab, Fairphone, Volla, Nexus 5, and OnePlus One. There are also 81 devices that are community supported so in terms of device support, Ubuntu Touch excels. Not to...
Source: beebom.com
Open Source Mobile OS Alternatives To Android
With UBportsโ€™ efforts, Ubuntu Touch gets some updates. There are a handful of devices that are supported by Ubuntu Touch. You can see the list here.
Source: itsfoss.com

Podman Reviews

Podman vs Docker: Comparing the Two Containerization Tools
Rootless processes. Because of its daemonless architecture, Podman can perform truly rootless operations. Users do not have to be granted root privileges to run Podman commands, and Podman does not have to rely on a root-privileged process.
Source: www.linode.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Podman should be more popular than Ubuntu Touch. It has been mentiond 125 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Ubuntu Touch mentions (31)

  • Trans liberation must be protected at all costs. Protect trans kids. Under no pretext shall arms and ammunition be taken from the working class.
    I know it's not as common and not as good as android forks, but more secure and better privacy Linux operating systems exist for mobile phones as well like Plasma Mobile and Ubuntu Touch. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Support for Linux distributions added to customrombay.org
    For now, only information about Ubuntu Touch support is available on our website. We plan to extend that to PostmarketOS and NixOS. But which devices does Ubuntu Touch support? For example those:. Source: over 2 years ago
  • aegsgrsgegsegsg
    She: Finally. I couldn't wait any longer to feel your [Ubuntu Touch](https://ubuntu-touch.io/). I'm feeling both [Fire](https://developer.amazon.com/apps-and-games/devices) and [Harmony](https://www.harmonyos.com/en/)!!! Source: over 2 years ago
  • Need to get talked out of a terrible idea!
    You could always look into Ubuntu touch, Https://ubuntu-touch.io/. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Ubuntu touch, xiamoi redmi note 9
    Ubuntu Touch is being actively worked on by a community of developers. They have been making very impressive progress on an 20.04 LTS-based release that we should see early next year, and they have a Telegram channel with updates as well as a monthly update and Q&A session on YouTube, plus blogs, a forum, governance bodies, and basically everything else you'd expect from a very ambitions development effort. Source: almost 3 years ago
View more

Podman mentions (125)

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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Ubuntu Touch and Podman, you can also consider the following products

LineageOS - Operating system for smartphones and tablet computers, based on the Android

containerd - An industry-standard container runtime with an emphasis on simplicity, robustness and portability

Android - Android is an open source mobile operating system initially released by Google in 2008 and has since become of the most widely used operating systems on any platform.

Docker - Docker is an open platform that enables developers and system administrators to create distributed applications.

GrapheneOS - GrapheneOS is an open source privacy and security focused mobile OS with Android app compatibility.

Flox - Manage and share development environments with all the frameworks and libraries you need, then publish artifacts anywhere. Harness the power of Nix.