I view podman as a mostly drop in replacement for docker but it doesn’t have a daemon (for better and worse). I wouldn’t recommend using podman for you right now. I’d strongly recommend docker-compose (not docker run).

If you’re ever stuck trying to convert a docker run command to a compose.yml file, composerize.com is helpful.

I had a similar journey and recommend it. I started with Open Media Vault with docker containers configured via a GUI, then to Debian + docker compose, then to Debian deployed with Ansible + docker compose, and now I’m with NixOS + podman compose. The first jump to Debian was the most intimidating for me learning CLI commands for the first time and not having defaults chosen for me, but it was liberating to finally learn the actual tools and not just learn a GUI abstraction for tools.