# Distribution vs Docker Hub

| Attribute | Distribution | Docker Hub |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 63.5 (77% (high)) | 64.4 (72% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 69 | - |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 2,403 | - |
| adoption.github_stars | 10,649 | - |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"Open-source registry implementing OCI Distribution Spec version 1.0.1 that enables you to store and distribute container images with full control over your distribution pipeline. It is indexed under Container Registries.","source":"https://distribution.github.io/distribution/","question":"What is Distribution?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"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 Distribution free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Distribution supports Linux and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://distribution.github.io/distribution/","question":"What platforms does Distribution support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Distribution can be deployed cloud / SaaS, 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 Distribution be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. 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 Distribution open source?","confidence":0.95}]` | `[{"answer":"A cloud-based platform where developers can upload container images, control user access, set up automated builds from source code, and discover verified container images shared by Docker and the community. It is indexed under Container Registries.","source":"https://hub.docker.com","question":"What is Docker Hub?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Docker Hub offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Paid plans start at $9 per user per month. Prices are published openly on the vendor's own pricing page. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://hub.docker.com","question":"Is Docker Hub free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed browser-based access to Docker Hub. That is the extent of what we could verify from public sources, so it may well offer desktop or mobile clients we have not indexed.","source":"https://hub.docker.com","question":"What platforms does Docker Hub support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have only confirmed a cloud / SaaS deployment for Docker Hub, so it appears to be vendor-hosted. If a self-hosted option exists we have not found it documented publicly.","source":"https://hub.docker.com","question":"Can Docker Hub be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 6 integrations for Docker Hub, including LambdaTest, OpenShift, GitHub, Perplexity, Browserbase and ElevenLabs. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://hub.docker.com","question":"What does Docker Hub integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Docker Hub is available worldwide. Its primary market is the United States.","source":"https://hub.docker.com","question":"Where is Docker Hub available?","confidence":0.5}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true}` | `{"cloud":true}` |
| description.long | A cloud-based container image registry where developers can publish, discover, and collaborate on containerized applications. Includes user management, access controls, automated builds, and webhooks for integration into development workflows. | A hosted repository service for publishing and discovering containerized applications, with user management, automated builds, webhooks, and pull analytics. |
| features.capabilities | `{"rbac":true,"web_ui":true,"hosting":"self","sbom_support":false,"image_signing":true,"oci_compliant":true,"private_repos":true,"artifact_types":"images","cloud_iam_native":false,"high_availability":true,"vulnerability_scanning":true}` | `{"rbac":true,"web_ui":true,"hosting":"cloud","private_repos":true,"artifact_types":"images","vulnerability_scanning":true}` |
| integrations.count | 2 | 6 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"GitHub","native":true,"direction":"inbound"},{"name":"Webhooks","native":true,"direction":"outbound"},{"name":"Warp terminal","native":false}]` | `[{"name":"LambdaTest"},{"name":"OpenShift"},{"name":"GitHub"},{"name":"Perplexity"},{"name":"Browserbase"},{"name":"ElevenLabs"}]` |
| language.primary | Go | - |
| license.spdx | Apache-2.0 | - |
| market.availability | - | `{"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"web":true}` | `{"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"hybrid","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://distribution.github.io/distribution/","retrievedAt":"2026-09-11T16:12:43.477Z"}` | `{"type":"subscription","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Personal","summary":"Free","features":["Docker Desktop","Docker Engine + Kubernetes","Docker Hub","Docker Scout","Docker Debug","Docker Build Cloud free trial","Testcontainers Cloud free trial"],"minSeats":1,"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For individual developers who need the essential tools to build and deploy containers","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"users":"1","scout_repos":"1","private_repos":"1","hub_pulls_per_hour":"100"}},{"free":false,"name":"Pro","summary":"$9/user/mo (monthly) or $11/user/mo (annual)","features":["Docker Build Cloud","Testcontainers Cloud","Synchronized File Shares","Docker Scout health scores","5 business day support response"],"minSeats":1,"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"user","amount":9,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"user","amount":11,"period":"year","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For individual professionals who require more advanced features and additional resources","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"users":"1","scout_repos":"2","hub_pull_rate":"unlimited","build_cloud_minutes":"200 per month","testcontainers_cloud_minutes":"100 per month"}},{"free":false,"name":"Team","summary":"$15/user/mo (monthly) or $16/user/mo (annual)","features":["Add users in bulk","Audit logs","Docker Hub role-based access control","Unlimited Docker Scout-enabled repos","Unlimited private repos","2 business day support response"],"minSeats":1,"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"user","amount":15,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"user","amount":16,"period":"year","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For small teams that need collaborative tools to make working together more efficient","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"users":"up to 100","scout_repos":"unlimited","hub_pull_rate":"unlimited","organizations":"1","private_repos":"unlimited","build_cloud_minutes":"500 per month","organization_tokens":"10","testcontainers_cloud_minutes":"500 per month"}},{"free":false,"name":"Business","summary":"$24/user/mo","features":["Hardened Docker Desktop","Single Sign-On (SSO)","SCIM user provisioning","Image and Registry Access Management","Desktop Insights Dashboard","Enhanced container Isolation","Invoice billing","1 business day support response"],"components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"user","amount":24,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For enterprises desiring robust security, control, and compliance features","contactSales":true,"includedLimits":{"users":"unlimited","scout_repos":"unlimited","hub_pull_rate":"unlimited","organizations":"unlimited","private_repos":"unlimited","build_cloud_minutes":"1500 per month","organization_tokens":"100","testcontainers_cloud_minutes":"1500 per month"}},{"free":true,"name":"Docker Hardened Images (DHI) - Community","summary":"Free","features":["Hardened, minimal images","Near-zero CVEs","Verifiable SBOMs & SLSA Build L3 provenance","Full, unsuppressed CVE visibility","Drop-in adoption, no workflow changes","Full catalog of open source images under Apache 2.0","Docker Hardened System Packages"],"description":"Secure, transparent, and no-cost base images for every developer","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Docker Hardened Images (DHI) - Select","summary":"Starting at $5k/repo","features":["Everything in community, plus","FIPS/STIG variants","Critical CVE fixes < 7 days with SLA-backed continuous patching","Up to 5 customizations"],"components":[{"kind":"one_time","amount":5000,"currency":"USD"}],"description":"Production-ready security with compliance support","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Docker Hardened Images (DHI) - Enterprise","summary":"Contact for pricing","features":["Everything in Select, plus","Unlimited customizations, including system packages","Access to Hardened System Packages repo","Full catalog access available","Extended Lifecycle Support add-on available"],"description":"Advanced security controls and unlimited customization","contactSales":true}],"summary":"Free tier available. Personal $0, Pro $9-11/user/mo, Team $15-16/user/mo, Business $24/user/mo. Docker Hardened Images from free to $5k+/repo.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://hub.docker.com","retrievedAt":"2026-08-05T13:21:02.154Z","startingPrice":{"amount":9,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month","year"]}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | freemium | free |
| pricing.price_level | low | free |
| pricing.transparent | no | 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.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 | Distribution | Docker Hub |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **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 2026-10-16T19:01:51.522Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*