Microsoft has officially entered the container orchestration space directly within Windows 11 with the public preview of WSL Containers, released on June 29, 2026. The highlight is wslc.exe, a new command-line tool that lets developers build, run, and manage Linux containers without needing Docker or any third-party container runtime. Alongside wslc, Microsoft is also shipping a developer API, opening the door for programmatic container management integrated deeply into the Windows ecosystem.

This move marks a significant shift in the container landscape, giving Windows 11 users a native, lightweight option that leverages the existing Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL 2) architecture. For developers who have long relied on Docker Desktop or similar tools to run Linux containers on Windows, wslc promises a more seamless, performant, and secure alternative—directly from the OS.

What Are WSL Containers?

At its core, WSL Containers is a new feature built on top of WSL 2’s lightweight virtual machine. It provides a native container runtime that operates entirely inside the WSL 2 environment, eliminating the need for a separate container engine like Docker. The container images themselves are standard OCI (Open Container Initiative) images, ensuring compatibility with existing registries such as Docker Hub, GitHub Container Registry, or private corporate registries.

The key component is the wslc.exe command-line tool, which manages container lifecycle—from pulling and building images to running and inspecting containers. Under the hood, a new lightweight service handles container execution, sharing the WSL 2 kernel and resources efficiently. This means containers get near-native Linux performance without the overhead of running a full Docker daemon in a VM.

wslc.exe: The Native Container CLI

For anyone familiar with Docker or Podman, the wslc syntax will feel intuitive. Microsoft designed the tool to align with common container management patterns. Here are the essential commands available in the public preview:

  • wslc pull: Downloads an image from a registry.
    wslc pull ubuntu:22.04
  • wslc build: Builds an image from a Dockerfile-like format (Microsoft is calling it a Containerfile by default, but Dockerfiles work).
    wslc build -t my-app .
  • wslc run: Starts a container from an image, with options for port mapping, volumes, environment variables, and interactive mode.
    wslc run -it -p 8080:80 -v C:\\data:/mnt/data my-app
  • wslc ps: Lists running containers.
  • wslc stop/start/rm: Manage container lifecycle.
  • wslc inspect: Outputs detailed container or image metadata.

Volume mounting is particularly interesting: wslc can mount Windows directories directly into the container using the /mnt/ prefix in WSL 2 style, maintaining file system performance and case sensitivity. The tool also supports networking modes that allow containers to share the WSL 2 virtual network or expose ports directly to the Windows host.

Developer API: Programmatic Container Control

Alongside the CLI, Microsoft is releasing a developer API that lets applications and scripts manage containers. This REST API and corresponding .NET SDK enable scenarios like automated testing, CI/CD pipelines, and integration with Visual Studio or VS Code. For example, a developer could programmatically spin up a test database container before running integration tests, all without external dependencies.

A simple C# snippet using the preview API might look like this:

using Wslc.Sdk;

var client = new WslcClient();
await client.PullImageAsync("redis:latest");
var container = await client.CreateContainerAsync("redis-test", "redis:latest", new ContainerOptions
{
    PortMappings = { { 6379, 6379 } }
});
await container.StartAsync();
// ... run tests ...
await container.StopAsync();
await container.RemoveAsync();

The API is designed to be lightweight and straightforward, with full async support. Microsoft expects it to become a first-class citizen in its DevOps toolchain, eventually plugging into Azure Pipelines and GitHub Actions.

Why Ditch Docker? The Benefits of WSL Containers

The most immediate advantage is simplicity. No need to install Docker Desktop, manage its licensing, or deal with its resource consumption. wslc runs directly on the same WSL 2 kernel that many developers already use for Linux development on Windows, so there’s no extra VM overhead.

Performance: Because containers share the WSL 2 kernel and run inside the same lightweight VM, startup times are noticeably faster than Docker’s default setup. I/O-intensive workloads benefit from WSL 2’s tight integration with the Windows filesystem and dynamic memory management.

Security: Docker Desktop requires a background service with elevated privileges, which can be a concern for enterprise environments. wslc runs without a persistent daemon—each command invokes the necessary user-space operations inside the secured WSL 2 environment. Microsoft has also integrated wslc with Windows Defender and Group Policies, allowing administrators to enforce container image signing, restrict registries, and audit container usage centrally.

Tighter Windows integration: wslc respects Windows networking profiles, VPN configurations, and proxy settings automatically. Containers can interact with Windows processes via localhost without complex port forwarding. The tool even supports GPU acceleration for containerized AI/ML workloads through WSL 2’s GPU passthrough, something that often required manual configuration with Docker.

Licensing and cost: Docker Desktop’s licensing changes have pushed many teams to explore alternatives. wslc is free and included with Windows 11 (no additional subscription).

What’s Missing? Current Limitations

As a public preview, WSL Containers is not yet a complete replacement for Docker’s full ecosystem. The following features are absent or incomplete:

  • Orchestration: No built-in Docker Compose or Swarm equivalent. Users can script multi-container setups manually, but a declarative format is not yet available.
  • BuildKit and advanced caching: The image builder lacks some advanced layer caching and multi-stage build optimizations that Docker provides.
  • Image signing and notary: Not yet integrated, though planned.
  • Windows Server support: Currently limited to Windows 11 client SKUs. Windows Server LTSC and Azure editions are not supported in this preview.
  • Third‑party integrations: Tools like VS Code’s Docker extension, Debugger for Containers, and CI/CD systems that rely on Docker sockets will need updates to support the wslc API.

Microsoft acknowledges these gaps and is actively seeking feedback through its GitHub repository and the Windows Insider Program. The team intends to rapidly iterate based on community input.

The Impact on the Container Ecosystem

Docker has long been synonymous with containerization, but its dominance on Windows has always required a translation layer. WSL 2 already diminished the need for a full Linux VM, and now wslc removes the last barrier. For many Windows‑based developers, the combination of WSL 2 and wslc could become the default container toolchain, much like how Apple’s virtualization framework spurred native macOS alternatives to Docker.

This doesn’t spell the end for Docker, however. Docker’s strength lies in its massive community, extensive plugin ecosystem, Docker Compose, and its enterprise offerings like Docker Scout and Docker Build Cloud. Teams deeply invested in Docker’s workflows or multi‑platform deployments will likely continue using it. But for the individual developer or small team running Linux containers on Windows, wslc offers a compelling, zero‑cost alternative that “just works.”

Reaction across developer forums and early preview feedback suggests cautious optimism. Many appreciate the reduced complexity and security improvements, but others worry about fragmentation and lock‑in if wslc diverges from Docker CLI standards. Microsoft has committed to maintaining compatibility with OCI images and common command patterns, but the long‑term direction will depend on user feedback.

How to Get Started

To try WSL Containers, you need:

  • Windows 11 build 26000 or higher (Dev or Beta channel).
  • WSL 2 installed and a default distribution set (e.g., wsl --install).
  • Enable the WSL Containers feature: wsl --install-containers (new flag in preview).

Alternatively, install the preview through the Microsoft Store or with winget:

winget install --id Microsoft.WslContainersPreview -e

After installation, open a terminal and verify:

wslc version

You can immediately pull and run a test container:

wslc run -it alpine echo "Hello from wslc"

For full documentation and known issues, visit the official Microsoft Learn page and the GitHub repository. Microsoft engineers are active on the WSL GitHub Discussions, ready to assist and collect feedback.

The Road Ahead

WSL Containers is more than a convenience; it represents Microsoft’s deeper vision of making Windows the ultimate developer workstation. By absorbing container runtime capabilities into WSL, Microsoft is simplifying the stack and addressing long‑standing pain points around performance, security, and licensing. The public preview will evolve quickly—expect new wslc features, tooling integrations, and perhaps a composable multi‑container solution similar to Compose.

For now, Windows 11 users interested in a Docker‑free container workflow should download the preview and start experimenting. As always with preview software, keep production workloads on stable solutions, but this is an excellent time to influence the future of containers on Windows. Head over to the Windows Command Line blog and GitHub to read the full announcement and share your thoughts.