Comparison

Ankra vs ContainerDesk

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Ankra

Features
Read full description

Ankra is the companion app for the Ankra Kubernetes platform. Manage your clusters, stacks, and add-ons from your iPhone or iPad with native iOS conveniences that the web alone cannot offer. Built for platform engineers and SREs who need cluster health at a glance: • Face ID / Touch ID gate on every launch and after 5 minutes in the background, with device-passcode fallback. • Offline-aware with an active connection probe - the app keeps showing the last view you had and offers a one-tap Reconnect when the network comes back. • ankra:// deep links to jump straight to any cluster, add-on, or stack from links anywhere on your phone. • Native downloads - kubeconfigs, YAML manifests, and platform exports hand off to the iOS Files / Share sheet. • Branded splash and offline screens that match the Ankra design system. • Camera and photo-library integration for attaching screenshots to support tickets. • Optimised WebView - pull-to-refresh, swipe-to-go-back, persistent cookies so you stay logged in between sessions. Requires an active account on platform.ankra.app. Sign up at https://ankra.io or contact sales for a demo. Support: https://docs.ankra.ai Privacy: https://ankra.io/privacy

About

ContainerDesk

Manage Docker containers and Kubernetes clusters remotely from your Mac, iPad, or iPhone. Securely connect via SSH without exposing your Docker daemon or installing agents. Features include real-time stats, logs, interactive terminals, and file browsing.

Highlights
  • Remote Docker and Kubernetes management
  • Secure SSH connection
  • Real-time container stats and logs
  • Interactive terminal access
  • File browser for containers
  • Kubernetes cluster overview
  • Cross-device sync (iCloud Pro)
Features
Read full description

ContainerDesk is the native cockpit to manage your Docker containers and Kubernetes clusters remotely, from your Mac, iPad and iPhone. No Docker daemon exposed to the network, no agent to install: ContainerDesk talks to the Docker API and kubectl through a secure SSH connection. Your servers stay closed; you stay in control. DOCKER • All your containers, grouped by Docker Compose project • Real-time stats (CPU, RAM) and streaming logs with search • Start, stop, restart, remove, with confirmation • Interactive terminal and exec inside a container • File browser (download and upload) • Images (pull, remove, prune), volumes and networks • Create containers and deploy a local container to a remote server KUBERNETES • Pods by namespace, deployments, services, ingress • Logs, console and terminal inside a pod • Scale, rollout restart, edit ConfigMaps and Secrets • Guided Deployment creation • Cluster overview: top consumers A REAL TERMINAL A true interactive (PTY) terminal on your hosts and straight inside your containers and pods: autocomplete, colors, history. SECURITY FIRST • Everything goes through SSH, never an open Docker port • Human approval before every destructive action • Host keys verified (TOFU) with an alert on change • Secrets stored in the Keychain, never in the clear • Local audit log • Zero telemetry: your data never leaves your devices FROM MAC TO PHONE One native app on macOS, iPadOS and iOS. Organize servers with favorites and folders; with iCloud (Pro), they sync across your devices. PRO Unlock unlimited servers, Kubernetes, the MCP server (for AI agents), iCloud sync and deployment. One-time purchase, yours for life. Built for developers, sysadmins and homelab enthusiasts who want to manage Docker and Kubernetes cleanly, securely, from anywhere.

Screenshots

Ankra4 screens
ContainerDesk4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ankra at none against ContainerDesk's 1. Ankra also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. ContainerDesk sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Ankra asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ankra ships an update every 2 days, ContainerDesk monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 5 level
Ankra versus ContainerDesk: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAnkraContainerDesk
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB17 MB
Age rating+4+4
DeveloperAnkra ABNetMeSafe

In-app purchases

None

Ankra

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

ContainerDesk

One-time1
  • ContainerDesk Pro$12.99

Questions

Is Ankra free?
Ankra is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ContainerDesk free?
ContainerDesk is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Ankra or ContainerDesk have ads?
Neither Ankra nor ContainerDesk shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ankra or ContainerDesk?
Ankra ships an update every 2 days, and ContainerDesk monthly. Most recently, Ankra was updated on November 5, 2026 and ContainerDesk on November 10, 2026.

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