kind (Kubernetes-in-Docker) still requires Docker, so its not a replacement for Docker Desktop (Windows/macOS). You'll need to run kind in minikube or kind in Docker Desktop.
> kind was primarily designed for testing Kubernetes itself, but may be used for local development or CI.
minikube was designed for those who want a local kubernetes environment for development. It didn't work well for testing Kubernetes itself which led to kind. They had two different, though slightly overlapping, goals.
minikube is good where you have to have a VM, which is development on Windows and OS X. Linux containers need Linux, much to the dismay of laptop buyers I guess.
I personally don't bother. I use Windows but just have a pet Linux VM where I actually do work, and then use kind (with podman; Docker seems to be turning the screws and I'm getting out ahead of that).
I prefer Minikube over Kind, because Minikube supports a lot more options and features, and has integrated the same features as Kind. Kind has not had a new release for almost a year.
