Microsoft Brings Native Linux Containers to Windows 11 with WSL Containers
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Microsoft Brings Native Linux Containers to Windows 11 with WSL Containers
Announced at Build 2026, the new feature lets Windows run Linux containers directly through WSL — no Docker Desktop required. Public preview is expected by the end of June.
Microsoft used Build 2026 to introduce WSL Containers, a built-in way to create, run, and manage Linux containers on Windows 11 without installing Docker Desktop or any other third-party runtime. The feature is one of several developer-focused announcements from the conference, alongside Coreutils for Windows and an AI-assisted Intelligent Terminal, and is expected to enter public preview by the end of this month as part of a standard WSL update.
For years, running Linux containers on Windows has meant layering a separate tool — Docker Desktop, Podman Desktop, or Rancher Desktop — on top of WSL. WSL Containers folds that capability directly into WSL itself, using a dedicated, optimized Hyper-V virtual machine rather than relying on a developer’s existing Linux distribution inside WSL.
A command line that already feels familiar
The new feature ships with a command-line tool called wslc.exe. Microsoft built its syntax to closely mirror Docker’s, so commands developers already know carry over with minimal changes:
# Run a container interactively
wslc run --rm -it ubuntu:latest bash
# Map a port
wslc run -p 8080:80 nginx:latest
# List running containers
wslc container ps
# Build an image from a Dockerfile
wslc build -t myapp:latest .The containers are OCI-compliant, meaning they can pull images from Docker Hub and other standard registries. Microsoft has said it intentionally kept the command structure close to Docker’s so that existing scripts, tutorials, and muscle memory require little to no relearning.
An API for apps, not just terminals
Beyond the command line, WSL Containers includes a developer API that lets native Windows applications launch and manage Linux containers in the background, without the end user ever opening a terminal. Microsoft demonstrated this with MoonRay, an open-source rendering engine used on animated films, running from a standard Windows executable that silently spun up a Linux container, completed the render, and shut the environment down.
That has direct implications for desktop software that currently bundles a container runtime just to do isolated Linux-side work — AI inference, data processing, or cross-platform testing. Tools that previously shipped with an embedded runtime adding hundreds of megabytes to their installers could potentially shrink significantly by calling the WSL Containers API directly instead.
Built for IT from day one
WSL Containers also arrives with enterprise management baked in, rather than bolted on afterward. According to Microsoft, IT administrators will be able to:
- Control which image registries are allowed, through allow-lists and block-lists
- Enable or disable the feature via Group Policy or mobile device management tools like Intune
- Monitor which containers are running on managed devices and audit their resource use
- Govern how containers interact with the host’s files, network, and clipboard
This addresses a long-standing pain point: once an individual developer installs a third-party container runtime, it can sit outside a department’s existing security and management policies. By building container support into infrastructure IT teams already use, Microsoft is positioning WSL Containers as a more governable alternative for managed environments.
Why this matters beyond the changelog
Docker Desktop has charged commercial users a monthly per-seat subscription since 2021, a cost that organizations with larger teams have had to budget for. A free, built-in alternative for the common case — building an image, running a container, mapping a port, testing locally — doesn’t eliminate the need for Docker’s broader ecosystem, but it does lower the bar for teams that only use Docker Desktop for that baseline workflow.
The announcement also fits a broader pattern. WSL began as a way to run Linux command-line tools without leaving Windows; it later gained a full Linux kernel, GPU passthrough, and systemd support. Native container support is widely seen as the next logical step in making Windows a credible host for Linux-shaped development work — mirroring a similar move Apple made for macOS with its native Container CLI announced in 2025.
What to expect next
WSL Containers is still in development. Microsoft says public preview will arrive as part of a routine WSL update by the end of June, with no separate installer required. As with any preview release, expect rough edges, sparse documentation initially, and a feature set limited to single containers rather than full multi-service orchestration. Broader support, including possible Kubernetes integration, has been described as a longer-term direction rather than a near-term commitment.
Reporting based on Microsoft’s Build 2026 announcements and subsequent technical coverage. Feature details may evolve before and during public preview.
