# runfinch/finch

The Finch CLI is an open source client for container development

Repository: https://github.com/runfinch/finch
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/finch
Homepage: https://www.runfinch.com
Language: Go
License: Apache-2.0
License Family: permissive
Topics: containerd, containers, lima-vm, nerdctl
Last push: 2026-08-26T23:01:38+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 99/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 98, longevity 99
- inputs: {"age_days": 1395, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": 13, "gap_med": 16.0, "n_releases_24m": 33}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 4053, forks 117 (observed 2026-08-28T04:08:33.872763+00:00)

## What it is
Finch is an open-source CLI client for local container development that bundles nerdctl, containerd, BuildKit, and a Lima-managed virtual machine into a simple installer. It provides Docker-compatible commands (run, build, push, pull, compose) for building and running OCI containers on macOS, Windows, and Linux.

## Use cases
- build container images locally without Docker Desktop
- run containers on macOS with Apple Silicon
- push images to Amazon ECR from the CLI
- use docker compose workflows with an open-source alternative
- build multi-architecture container images
- develop containers on Windows without WSL complexity

## When to choose
- you want a free, open-source Docker Desktop alternative for local container development
- you prefer containerd/nerdctl over Docker's tooling
- you work heavily with AWS ECR and want tight integration
- you need a simple installer that wires up Lima, containerd, and BuildKit for you

## When to avoid
- you need a production container runtime - Finch is explicitly a developer tool, not a security boundary
- you rely on Docker features beyond nerdctl's supported command set
- you need Kubernetes orchestration locally
- you require hardened multi-tenant isolation on macOS or Windows

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: active
- function: cli, container-runtime, developer-tools, deployment
- domain: developer-tools, cross-platform
- platform: windows, cli, go
- tags: container-development, nerdctl, containerd, lima-vm, buildkit, docker-compatible, oci-images, docker-compose, aws-ecr, local-development, containers, devops, macos, linux

## Member repositories
- runfinch/finch (main) score 99

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:08:33.872763+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T18:23:38.900615+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/runfinch/finch (fetched 2026-08-28T04:08:33.872763+00:00, sha cca0d80f8bbb)
  - homepage: https://www.runfinch.com (fetched 2026-08-29T09:16:03.185355+00:00, sha 95761540fc28)
  - site_page: https://runfinch.com/docs (fetched 2026-08-29T09:16:03.194981+00:00, sha 0689de1234ee)
  - site_page: https://runfinch.com/docs/getting-started/installation (fetched 2026-08-29T09:16:03.197067+00:00, sha 20fd664baa39)
  - site_page: https://runfinch.com/docs/getting-started/building-images (fetched 2026-08-29T09:16:03.199069+00:00, sha b170ddc6b980)
  - site_page: https://runfinch.com/docs/getting-started/running-containers (fetched 2026-08-29T09:16:03.201148+00:00, sha 3a51592e5efa)
  - site_page: https://runfinch.com/docs/getting-started/pushing-images (fetched 2026-08-29T09:16:03.203443+00:00, sha cba1a5dedd72)
  - site_page: https://runfinch.com/docs/getting-started/compose (fetched 2026-08-29T09:16:03.205466+00:00, sha e254711a7d98)
  - site_page: https://runfinch.com/docs/managing-finch/macos/installation (fetched 2026-08-29T09:16:03.207615+00:00, sha fd4e5e713988)
  - site_page: https://runfinch.com/docs/managing-finch/macos/disk-management (fetched 2026-08-29T09:16:03.209481+00:00, sha 027bacf75568)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.