---
name: "podman-container-prune"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "podman"
version: "6.1.4-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/podman-container-prune"
---

# podman-container-prune(1)

Remove all stopped containers from local storage

## NAME

podman-container-prune - Remove all stopped containers from local storage

## SYNOPSIS

**podman container prune** \[*options*\]

## DESCRIPTION

**podman container prune** removes all stopped containers from local storage.

## OPTIONS

### --filter=*filters*

Provide filter values.

If there is more than one filter, the **--filter** option should be passed multiple times: **--filter** *label=test* **--filter** *until=10m*.

Supported filters:

| | |
| --- | --- |
| **Filter** | **Description** |
| annotation | Only remove containers, with (or without, in the case of annotation!=\[...\] is used) the specified annotations. |
| label | Only remove containers, with (or without, in the case of label!=\[...\] is used) the specified labels. |
| until | Only remove containers created before given timestamp. |

The **label** *filter* accepts two formats. One is the **label**=*key* or **label**=*key*=*value*, which removes containers with the specified labels. The other format is the **label!**=*key* or **label!**=*key*=*value*, which removes containers without the specified labels. The **annotation** and **annotation!** filters work the same way for container annotations.

**NOTE:** **label!** filters are combined with **AND**, so that the behavior is consistent with **label**, while in Docker, they are combined with **OR**.

The **until** *filter* can be Unix timestamps, date formatted timestamps, or Go duration strings (e.g. 10m, 1h30m) computed relative to the machine’s time.

### --force, -f

Do not provide an interactive prompt for container removal.\
 The default is **false**.

**-h**, **--help**

Print usage statement.\
 The default is **false**.

## EXAMPLES

Remove all stopped containers from local storage:

```
$ podman container prune
WARNING! This will remove all stopped containers.
Are you sure you want to continue? [y/N] y
878392adf2e6c5c9bb1fc19b69d37d2e98c8abf9d539c0bce4b15b46bbcce471
37664467fbe3618bf9479c34393ac29c02696675addf1750f9e346581636cde7
ed0c6468b8e1cb641b4621d1fe30cb477e1fefc5c0bceb66feaf2f7cb50e5962
6ac6c8f0067b7a4682e6b8e18902665b57d1a0e07e885d9abcd382232a543ccd
fff1c5b6c3631746055ec40598ce8ecaa4b82aef122f9e3a85b03b55c0d06c23
602d343cd47e7cb3dfc808282a9900a3e4555747787ec6723bb68cedab8384d5
```

Remove all stopped containers from local storage without confirmation:

```
$ podman container prune -f
878392adf2e6c5c9bb1fc19b69d37d2e98c8abf9d539c0bce4b15b46bbcce471
37664467fbe3618bf9479c34393ac29c02696675addf1750f9e346581636cde7
ed0c6468b8e1cb641b4621d1fe30cb477e1fefc5c0bceb66feaf2f7cb50e5962
6ac6c8f0067b7a4682e6b8e18902665b57d1a0e07e885d9abcd382232a543ccd
fff1c5b6c3631746055ec40598ce8ecaa4b82aef122f9e3a85b03b55c0d06c23
602d343cd47e7cb3dfc808282a9900a3e4555747787ec6723bb68cedab8384d5
```

Remove all stopped containers from local storage created before the last 10 minutes:

```
$ podman container prune --filter until="10m"
WARNING! This will remove all stopped containers.
Are you sure you want to continue? [y/N] y
3d366295e33d8cc612c4d873199bacadd55088d90d17dcafaa9a2d317ad50b4e
```

## SEE ALSO

**[podman(1)](/podman/1.md)**, **[podman-ps(1)](/podman-ps/1.md)**

## HISTORY

December 2018, Originally compiled by Brent Baude bbaude@redhat.com ⟨mailto:bbaude@redhat.com⟩\
 December 2020, converted filter information from docs.docker.com documentation by Dan Walsh dwalsh@redhat.com ⟨mailto:dwalsh@redhat.com⟩