# Distribution vs IBM Cloud Container Registry

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Distribution

| Attribute | Distribution | IBM Cloud Container Registry |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 63.5 (77% (high)) | 53.6 (47% (low)) |
| 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":"Fully managed private registry service for storing and distributing container images with built-in security vulnerability scanning and compliance checks. It is indexed under Container Registries.","source":"https://www.ibm.com/products/container-registry","question":"What is IBM Cloud Container Registry?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"IBM Cloud Container Registry offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.ibm.com/products/container-registry","question":"Is IBM Cloud Container Registry free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"IBM Cloud 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.ibm.com/products/container-registry","question":"What platforms does IBM Cloud Container Registry support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have only confirmed a cloud / SaaS deployment for IBM Cloud 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.ibm.com/products/container-registry","question":"Can IBM Cloud Container Registry be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 5 integrations for IBM Cloud Container Registry, including IBM Cloud Kubernetes Service, Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud, IBM Code Engine, Docker and Skopeo. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.ibm.com/products/container-registry","question":"What does IBM Cloud Container Registry integrate with?","confidence":0.6}]` |
| 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. | Fully managed private registry service for storing and distributing container images with built-in security vulnerability scanning and compliance checks. |
| 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","image_signing":true,"oci_compliant":true,"private_repos":true,"artifact_types":"images","cloud_iam_native":true,"high_availability":true,"vulnerability_scanning":true}` |
| integrations.count | 2 | 5 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"GitHub","native":true,"direction":"inbound"},{"name":"Webhooks","native":true,"direction":"outbound"},{"name":"Warp terminal","native":false}]` | `[{"name":"IBM Cloud Kubernetes Service"},{"name":"Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud"},{"name":"IBM Code Engine"},{"name":"Docker"},{"name":"Skopeo"}]` |
| language.primary | Go | - |
| license.spdx | Apache-2.0 | - |
| platform.support | `{"web":true}` | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"hybrid","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://distribution.github.io/distribution/","retrievedAt":"2026-09-11T16:12:43.477Z"}` | `{"type":"free","summary":"Free tier available. Promotional offer: 50% savings for 6 months on certain new workloads.","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.ibm.com/products/container-registry","retrievedAt":"2026-08-13T18:18:29.823Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | freemium | free |
| pricing.price_level | low | free |
| pricing.transparent | no | no |
| 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 | - |
| 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 | Distribution | IBM Cloud 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 2026-10-15T22:31:14.286Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*