Services for storing and distributing Docker container images.
Overview
Container Registries
Container registries are central repositories for storing, managing, and distributing Docker images and OCI-compliant artifacts. Various solutions exist from cloud providers and open-source projects, including Docker Hub, GitHub Container Registry, AWS ECR, Azure ACR, and Google Artifact Registry, each offering different integration features, security capabilities, and pricing models. They provide essential features for enterprise container operations such as CI/CD pipeline integration, vulnerability scanning, immutable tags, and access control.
Docker
container
DevOps
CI/CD
cloud
Kubernetes
| code | slug | name | description | deploymentType | keyFeatures | pricingModel | privateRepos | provider | publicRepos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | docker-hub | Docker Hub | The official Docker container registry with the largest public image ecosystem. | SaaS | ["Largest ecosystem","Default Docker registry","Automated builds","Image scanning (paid)"] | Freemium | 1 Free (500MB), Paid from $7/user/month | Docker Inc. | Unlimited (Free) |
| 02 | github-container-registry | GitHub Container Registry | Container registry provided by GitHub with powerful GitHub Actions integration. | SaaS | ["GitHub Actions integration","No private repo limits","Personal access token auth","Free outbound from Actions"] | Usage-based | Unlimited (1GB free, then $0.25/GB storage, $0.50/GB outbound) | GitHub (Microsoft) | Unlimited (Free) |
| 03 | aws-ecr | Amazon Elastic Container Registry | Fully managed container registry by AWS with deep integration with AWS services. | SaaS | ["AWS IAM integration","MFA support","Immutable tags","Vulnerability scanning","99.9% SLA"] | Usage-based | $0.10/GB storage, $0.09/GB data transfer | Amazon Web Services | Yes (ECR Public) |
| 04 | azure-acr | Azure Container Registry | Managed container registry by Microsoft Azure with strong AKS integration. | SaaS | ["Azure AD integration","Geo-replication","ACR Tasks","AKS integration","Webhooks"] | Tier-based | ~$0.167/GB/month (Standard tier) | Microsoft Azure | Yes |
| 05 | google-artifact-registry | Google Artifact Registry | Artifact registry by Google Cloud supporting containers and other package formats. | SaaS | ["Multi-format support","Google Cloud IAM","Vulnerability scanning","Remote repositories","Virtual repositories"] | Usage-based | Storage + network egress based pricing | Google Cloud | Yes |
| 06 | gitlab-container-registry | GitLab Container Registry | Container registry integrated with GitLab covering the entire DevOps lifecycle. | SaaS/Self-managed | ["Built-in CI/CD","Vulnerability scanning","SLSA attestation","Helm support","Geo-replication"] | Freemium | Depends on plan | GitLab | Yes |
| 07 | quay | Quay.io | Enterprise container registry by Red Hat with strong security features. | SaaS/Self-hosted | ["Clair vulnerability scanning","Audit logging","Immutable tags","OpenShift integration","FedRAMP support"] | Flat-rate | Per repository pricing | Red Hat | Yes |
| 08 | harbor | Harbor | Open-source container registry, CNCF graduated project. Self-hosted. | Self-hosted | ["Open source","CNCF graduated","Multi-scanner support","Air-gapped support","Helm charts","Cost effective"] | Free (Infrastructure costs apply) | Unlimited | CNCF (Open Source) | Yes |
- Docker Hub official
- GitHub Container Registry Documentation official
- Amazon Elastic Container Registry official
- Azure Container Registry official
- Google Artifact Registry official
- Harbor official
- Amazon ECR vs. Docker Hub vs. GitHub Container Registry article
- Choosing a Container Registry in 2025 article