# CNCF Distribution vs DigitalOcean Container Registry

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** CNCF Distribution

| Attribute | CNCF Distribution | DigitalOcean Container Registry |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 66.3 (66% (medium)) | 56.4 (72% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 63 | - |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 2,403 | - |
| adoption.github_stars | 10,646 | - |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"Open-source implementation of the OCI Distribution Specification for storing and distributing container images. Enables organizations to tightly control their image storage and distribution pipeline with full ownership of their distribution infrastructure. It is indexed under Container Registries.","source":"https://distribution.github.io/distribution/","question":"What is CNCF Distribution?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"CNCF Distribution is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the Apache-2.0 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://distribution.github.io/distribution/","question":"Is CNCF Distribution free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. CNCF Distribution can be deployed on-premise and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://distribution.github.io/distribution/","question":"Can CNCF Distribution be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. CNCF Distribution is published under the Apache-2.0 licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/distribution/distribution","question":"Is CNCF Distribution open source?","confidence":0.95}]` | `[{"answer":"A managed, private container registry fully integrated with Docker CLI and DigitalOcean Kubernetes for secure image storage, management, and deployment. It is indexed under Container Registries.","source":"https://www.digitalocean.com/pricing/container-registry","question":"What is DigitalOcean Container Registry?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"DigitalOcean Container Registry offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Paid plans start at $0.02. Prices are published openly on the vendor's own pricing page. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.digitalocean.com/pricing/container-registry","question":"Is DigitalOcean Container Registry free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"DigitalOcean Container Registry supports the web and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://www.digitalocean.com/pricing/container-registry","question":"What platforms does DigitalOcean Container Registry support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have only confirmed a cloud / SaaS deployment for DigitalOcean Container Registry, so it appears to be vendor-hosted. If a self-hosted option exists we have not found it documented publicly.","source":"https://www.digitalocean.com/pricing/container-registry","question":"Can DigitalOcean Container Registry be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 3 integrations for DigitalOcean Container Registry, including Docker CLI, DigitalOcean Kubernetes and App Platform. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.digitalocean.com/pricing/container-registry","question":"What does DigitalOcean Container Registry integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"DigitalOcean Container Registry is available worldwide. Its primary market is the United States.","source":"https://www.digitalocean.com/pricing/container-registry","question":"Where is DigitalOcean Container Registry available?","confidence":0.5}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true}` | `{"cloud":true}` |
| description.long | Docker Hub enables developers to push, pull, and manage container images with their teams, automate builds and deployments through webhooks, and control access to repositories. | Store and manage private container images with high-speed HTTPS transfer across multiple data centers. Integrates natively with DigitalOcean Droplets and Kubernetes for container deployment. |
| features.capabilities | `{"rbac":true,"web_ui":true,"hosting":"self","image_signing":true,"oci_compliant":true,"private_repos":true,"artifact_types":"images","vulnerability_scanning":true}` | `{"rbac":true,"web_ui":true,"hosting":"cloud","private_repos":true,"artifact_types":"images"}` |
| integrations.count | - | 2 |
| integrations.list | - | `[{"name":"Docker CLI"},{"name":"DigitalOcean Kubernetes"},{"name":"App Platform"},{"name":"DigitalOcean Droplets","native":true,"direction":"outbound"}]` |
| language.primary | Go | - |
| license.spdx | Apache-2.0 | - |
| market.availability | - | `{"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"web":true}` | `{"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"subscription","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://distribution.github.io/distribution/","retrievedAt":"2026-09-10T21:11:49.107Z"}` | `{"type":"free","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Free","summary":"1 repository, 500 MiB storage","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"storage":"500 MiB","repositories":"1"}}],"summary":"Free tier: 1 repository with 500 MiB storage","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.digitalocean.com/pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-10-13T10:29:30.489Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | freemium | free |
| pricing.price_level | low | free |
| pricing.transparent | - | yes |
| release.cadence_days | 55 | - |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/distribution/distribution/releases/tag/v3.1.2","date":"2026-09-24T12:21:27Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.1.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/distribution/distribution/releases/tag/v3.1.1","date":"2026-05-01T15:51:50Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.1.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/distribution/distribution/releases/tag/v3.1.0","date":"2026-04-06T17:09:31Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.1.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/distribution/distribution/releases/tag/v3.0.0","date":"2025-04-03T06:25:36Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/distribution/distribution/releases/tag/v3.0.0-rc.4","date":"2025-03-22T14:59:29Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v3.0.0-rc.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/distribution/distribution/releases/tag/v3.0.0-rc.3","date":"2025-02-11T16:21:07Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v3.0.0-rc.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/distribution/distribution/releases/tag/v3.0.0-rc.2","date":"2024-12-18T15:23:19Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v3.0.0-rc.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/distribution/distribution/releases/tag/v3.0.0-rc.1","date":"2024-11-07T21:04:41Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v3.0.0-rc.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/distribution/distribution/releases/tag/v3.0.0-beta.1","date":"2024-07-10T13:22:40Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v3.0.0-beta.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/distribution/distribution/releases/tag/v3.0.0-alpha.1","date":"2023-12-19T16:03:36Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v3.0.0-alpha.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/distribution/distribution/releases/tag/v2.8.3","date":"2023-10-02T18:23:54Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.8.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/distribution/distribution/releases/tag/v2.8.2","date":"2023-05-11T10:47:43Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.8.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/distribution/distribution/releases/tag/v2.8.2-beta.2","date":"2023-05-09T23:32:56Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.8.2-beta.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/distribution/distribution/releases/tag/v2.8.2-beta.1","date":"2023-05-09T22:42:12Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.8.2-beta.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/distribution/distribution/releases/tag/v2.8.1","date":"2022-03-08T18:19:10Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.8.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/distribution/distribution/releases/tag/v2.8.0","date":"2022-02-07T15:53:07Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.8.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/distribution/distribution/releases/tag/v2.8.0-beta.1","date":"2022-01-21T16:49:13Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.8.0-beta.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/distribution/distribution/releases/tag/v2.7.1","date":"2019-01-17T23:22:32Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.7.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/distribution/distribution/releases/tag/v2.7.0","date":"2018-12-04T00:20:01Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.7.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/distribution/distribution/releases/tag/v2.7.0-rc.0","date":"2018-09-28T23:23:36Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.7.0-rc.0"}]` | - |
| reliability.status_page | yes | yes |
| security.disclosure_policy | - | yes |
| security.scorecard | 7.6 | - |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":4,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Fdistribution%2Fdistribution%2Fv3&per_page=100","last_12m":3,"max_severity":"HIGH"}` | - |

## Capabilities (Container Registries)

| Capability | CNCF Distribution | DigitalOcean Container Registry |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Hosting | Self-hosted only | Cloud only |
| **Standards** |  |  |
| OCI Distribution Spec compliant | ✓ | - |
| **Scope** |  |  |
| Artifact types | Container images only | Container images only |
| **Security** |  |  |
| Built-in vulnerability scanning | ✓ | - |
| Image signing (Cosign/Notation) | ✓ | - |
| SBOM generation / storage | - | - |
| **Access** |  |  |
| Fine-grained RBAC / robot accounts | ✓ | ✓ |
| Private repositories | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Distribution** |  |  |
| Geo-replication / mirroring | - | - |
| Pull-through cache / proxy | - | - |
| **Integration** |  |  |
| Native cloud IAM integration | - | - |
| **Pricing** |  |  |
| Pull-rate limits | - | - |
| **UX** |  |  |
| Web UI / console | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Ops** |  |  |
| High-availability deployment | - | - |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T19:06:08.381Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*