For macOS, you have a couple of options:

Option 1: Homebrew (recommended)

brew install --cask docker

Then open Docker from Applications to complete setup. The Docker daemon runs through Docker Desktop on macOS.

Option 2: Download Docker Desktop directly Download from docker.com and run the installer.

After installation:

Verify it's working:

docker --version
docker run hello-world

Common commands:

• docker ps — list running containers
• docker images — list images
• docker-compose up -d — start services in background
• docker logs <container> — view container logs

Alternative: Colima (lightweight, no Docker Desktop)

If you want to skip Docker Desktop entirely:

brew install colima docker docker-compose
colima start

Colima runs containers via a lightweight Lima VM and is fully compatible with Docker CLI. It's a good option if you want something lighter or want to avoid Docker Desktop's licensing requirements for commercial use.