400 MB–1.5 GB
Typical RAM
High
Impact
4
Tips
4 ways to reduce OrbStack RAM usage
1 Stop idle containers
OrbStack releases their memory immediately, unlike Docker Desktop which holds VM allocation.
2 Use orbctl stop
Fully shut down the VM when not developing to reclaim all memory.
3 Prune regularly
Run docker system prune to remove unused images and volumes.
4 Prefer Alpine images
Smaller base images minimize per-container overhead.
How DevPulse helps with OrbStack
DevPulse monitors OrbStack's real-time memory alongside your containers, showing savings vs Docker Desktop.
Instead of guessing how much RAM OrbStack consumes or manually checking Activity Monitor, DevPulse gives you a clear, always-visible answer in your menu bar.