Where Does OrbStack Store Containers and VMs?
OrbStack keeps machine images and volumes in its Application Support data, with Docker contexts pointing at its socket.
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OrbStack stores Linux machine images, container layers, and volumes in its own Application Support tree on Mac. Docker contexts point CLI tools at its socket, so images you pull land there rather than in Docker Desktop leftovers. Settings choose how much disk the machine may claim.
That tree grows fast with pulled images and dangling volumes. Prune from inside Docker tooling rather than deleting data files by hand. Migrating machines means moving the data tree with OrbStack stopped, then relaunching to verify contexts.
Where OrbStack stores this, by platform
~/Library/Application Support/OrbStack
Exact interior may vary by version, check Application Support if this does not match. Manage disk use with docker system prune and volume removal instead of file deletion.
Frequently asked questions
How do I free disk space used by OrbStack?
Run docker system prune and remove unused volumes and images from the CLI. The data tree shrinks on next runs without risking the machine image itself.
Where did my Docker Desktop images go after switching?
They stay in Docker Desktop storage. OrbStack starts its own store, so pull or migrate needed images fresh and retire the old Desktop data when done.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.