Best Container Registries (2026): 11 Options for Docker Images

Every deploy starts with pulling an image, so the registry quietly sits in the middle of everything. If it's slow, down or exposed, your releases are slow, down or exposed too.

The eleven container registries below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from the provider's own website or documentation, read this week. If you're building out the team that runs all this, my guide to finding remote DevOps talent may help.

Container registries at a glance

I checked the free plan column on each tool's own website, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the site names a free plan, a free version, a free allowance or an open source version. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to start for free, so check the vendor's page before you sign up.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
Amazon ECR	Fully managed container registry	Teams deploying on AWS	Not stated
Azure Container Registry	Managed container registry	Teams deploying on Azure	Not stated
Cloudsmith	Cloud-native artifact management platform	One home for images and packages	Trial only
CNCF Distribution	Open source registry	Building your own registry	Yes
Docker Hub	Public and private container registry	Sharing images publicly	Not stated
GitHub Container Registry	Container registry inside GitHub Packages	Teams whose code lives on GitHub	Not stated
Google Artifact Registry	Artifact and container registry	Teams on Google Cloud	Not stated
Harbor	Open source registry	Self-hosting with policies and access control	Yes
JFrog Artifactory	Docker and Helm registry	Enterprises managing many artifact types	Not stated
Scaleway Container Registry	Managed container registry	Teams wanting a European cloud	Not stated
Zot	Open source OCI registry	A lightweight self-hosted registry	Yes

Eleven registries for container images

Amazon ECR

Best for: AWS-based teams that want a fully managed container registry close to the services that pull their images.

Azure Container Registry

Best for: Microsoft Azure users who want container images managed in the same cloud as their Kubernetes services and container apps.

Cloudsmith

Best for: Teams that want container images and other packages in one artifact platform with policies and logs of what shipped where.

CNCF Distribution

Best for: Platform engineers who want the open source registry code that other registries build on, to run their own private registry.

Docker Hub

Best for: Developers who want the largest public container registry for discovering and sharing images, with private repositories too.

GitHub Container Registry

Best for: Teams whose code already lives on GitHub who want images stored next to the repository, with GitHub permissions.

Google Artifact Registry

Best for: Google Cloud users who want images and other artifacts in one registry, including the move from the older gcr.io service.

Harbor

Best for: Organisations that want a self-hosted, open source registry with policies and role-based access control for their images.

JFrog Artifactory

Best for: Enterprises that want Docker and Helm images in the same artifact platform as their other build outputs, self-hosted or cloud.

Scaleway Container Registry

Best for: European teams who want a managed registry from a European cloud provider for images used in their workloads.

Zot

Best for: Anyone wanting a lightweight self-hosted registry released as open source, with features like garbage collection in a single binary.

Matching a registry to where you deploy

• Deploying on a big cloud: Amazon ECR, Azure Container Registry or Google Artifact Registry.
• Code already on GitHub: GitHub Container Registry.
• Sharing public images: Docker Hub.
• Self-hosting with policies: Harbor or Zot.
• Building your own registry: CNCF Distribution.
• Every artifact type in one place: JFrog Artifactory or Cloudsmith.
• A European cloud provider: Scaleway Container Registry.

Registries get retired, so plan for moves

Google Cloud's Artifact Registry documentation carries a section on transitioning from Container Registry, the older gcr.io service, to Artifact Registry.

It's a useful reminder that registries change. Keep image locations in configuration rather than hard-coded across dozens of files, and you'll be able to move registries in an afternoon rather than a fortnight.

Managed cloud registries versus self-hosted ones

A managed registry from your cloud provider is the easy choice when your workloads live there. Permissions, networking and billing all sit in the account you already manage.

Self-hosted, open source registries give you full control over where images live and who can reach them. That matters for air-gapped networks and strict data rules, but you're the one keeping it running.

Questions to ask before you pick a registry

1. Where are images stored geographically?
2. Does it scan images for known vulnerabilities?
3. How are pull limits and rate limits handled?
4. Can it hold Helm charts and other artifacts too?
5. How does access control work for teams and CI?
6. Can we replicate images to other regions?

Once images are stored, our Docker hosting roundup covers where to run them.

Signs it's time to rethink your registry

• Deploys stall on image pulls. Move the registry closer.
• Nobody knows which images are in use. Clean up old tags.
• Images aren't scanned. Turn scanning on.
• Registry addresses are hard-coded everywhere. Put them in config.

Do you make a container registry or artifact platform? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My plain advice on choosing a container registry

Keep your registry close to where your containers run. Pull speed and data transfer add up quickly, and a registry in the same cloud region is usually the simplest win you'll get.

Turn on image scanning from day one, and clean out old tags on a schedule so the registry doesn't become a museum. If you're weighing cloud tooling more broadly, my piece on a cloud management suite is a useful wider view.

Frequently asked questions

What is a container registry?

A container registry is a service that stores container images, such as Docker images, and serves them to the machines that run them.

Is there only one public registry?

No. Every major cloud has its own registry, and there are open source registries you can host yourself.

Is there a free open source container registry?

Yes. Several registries in this list are released as open source, so you can run them on your own servers.

What happened to Google Container Registry?

Google's documentation includes guidance on transitioning from Container Registry (gcr.io) to Artifact Registry.

Should my registry be in the same cloud as my apps?

Usually, yes. It keeps pulls fast and permissions simple.

Can a container registry scan for vulnerabilities?

Many can, so check whether scanning is included and how results are reported.