When will wslc get Compose support?

Unknown. Microsoft tracks it in microsoft/WSL issue #40948. As of mid-2026 it has no milestone and no assignee, so it is unlikely to land in the autumn 2026 GA release. Watch the issue for updates.

How do I run a docker-compose.yml with wslc today?

Translate each service into a wslc run command, create a user-defined network with wslc network create, create named volumes with wslc volume create, then start services in dependency order using readiness probes instead of depends_on.

Can I keep Docker for Compose and use wslc for everything else?

Yes. Docker and wslc use separate utility VMs and image stores, so they coexist. The cost is duplicated images and disk usage.

Does wslc support docker compose?

Q: Does wslc support docker compose?

No, not in the current public preview. wslc 2.9.4.0 ships no Compose runtime and no wslc compose subcommand. A request for it (microsoft/WSL issue #40948) is the most-commented wslc feature request, opened by a WSL program manager, but it has no milestone or implementation pull request as of mid-2026.

Updated 2026-07-27 · 6 min read · wslc public preview

wslc does not support docker compose. The public preview ships no Compose runtime and no wslc compose subcommand. If you try wslc compose up, wslc treats compose as an unknown command. There is no daemon that could run a Compose file — each container is a standalone process in a Hyper-V utility VM.

## Why Compose support is not there yet Compose needs a supervising runtime that reads a declarative file, builds a dependency graph, enforces ordering, applies restart policies, and manages health checks. wslc is deliberately minimal: run, build, pull, push, exec, logs and friends operate on single containers. The pieces a Compose runtime would need — dependency ordering, restart supervision — do not exist in the preview command surface. ## The official request: microsoft/WSL #40948 The feature request "Compose support in WSLc" is the most-commented wslc issue in the microsoft/WSL repository. As of mid-2026: - 20 comments from users and Microsoft staff - Opened by a WSL program manager (signals first-party interest) - No milestone, no assignee, no implementation pull request Realistic read: Compose is being evaluated, but it is not actively scheduled. It is unlikely to land in the autumn 2026 GA release. Watch the issue and the WSL release notes for movement. ## How to run a compose file with wslc today Until Compose lands, translate the stack into individual wslc run commands. The pattern is always the same: create topology first, start dependencies before dependents, and replace depends_on with a real readiness probe.

Key substitutions: | Compose concept | wslc equivalent | |---|---| | networks: | wslc network create | | volumes: | wslc volume create | | services: X | wslc run --name X | | depends_on | explicit ordering + readiness probe | | restart: | Windows Scheduled Task or wrapper loop | | healthcheck: | --health-cmd etc. (wslc supports these) | | build: | wslc build -t name:tag . | For a field-by-field translation table, see the Compose migration guide. To generate the script automatically, paste your file into the Compose migration analyser.

Does wslc support docker compose?

Related guides

Compose migration guide →

Compose migration analyser →

Compose key support matrix →

Install WSL containers →

Complete WSL containers guide →