Comparison

Distribution vs Zot

On the evidence we track, Distribution leads this comparison with a composite score of 64/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.

Machine formatsMarkdownJSONGraphQLMarkdown is open. JSON and GraphQL need a free key.
★Distribution64
Zot54
Score
vioscaleAI score
Distribution64 / 100high · 77%
Zot54 / 100high · 75%
Pricing
Free tier
Distribution✓
Zot✓
Model
Distributionfreemium
Price level
Distributionlow
Zotfree
Transparent
Distribution✗
Zot✓
Integrations
Count
Distribution2
Zot1
Reliability
Status page
Distribution✓
Zot–
Adoption
Dependent repos
Distribution2,403
Zot0
Github stars
Distribution10,649
Activity
Commits last 30d
Distribution69
Zot67
Release
Cadence days
Distribution55
Zot31
History
Distribution20 items
License
Spdx
DistributionApache-2.0
Language
Primary
DistributionGo
ZotGo
Content
Faq
Distribution5 items

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for container registries. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Deployment
Hosting
DistributionSelf-hosted only
ZotCloud + self-hosted
Standards
OCI Distribution Spec compliant
Distribution✓
Zot✓
Scope
Artifact types
DistributionContainer images only
ZotContainer images only
Security
Built-in vulnerability scanning
Distribution✓
Zot✓
Image signing (Cosign/Notation)
Distribution✓
Zot-
SBOM generation / storage
Distribution✗
Zot-
Access
Fine-grained RBAC / robot accounts
Distribution✓
Zot✓
Private repositories
Distribution✓
Zot✓
Distribution
Geo-replication / mirroring
Distribution-
Zot-
Pull-through cache / proxy
Distribution-
Zot-
Integration
Native cloud IAM integration
Distribution✗
Zot-
Pricing
Pull-rate limits
Distribution-
Zot-
UX
Web UI / console
Distribution✓
Zot-
Ops
High-availability deployment
Distribution✓
Zot-

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

Distribution

Leader

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.

Independently observed

Zot

A lightweight, self-contained registry for managing container images that fully implements OCI standards. It runs as a single binary without elevated privileges and includes built-in security scanning, access control, garbage collection, and image deduplication.

Independently observed

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

Distribution

Leader
HybridFree tier
as of verify ↗

Zot

Open sourceFree tier
as of verify ↗

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platforms
Web
Distribution✓
Zot✗
macOS
Distribution✗
Zot✓
Linux
Distribution✗
Zot✓
CLI
Distribution✗
Zot✓
Deployment
Cloud / SaaS
Distribution✓
Zot✓
Self-hosted
Distribution✗
Zot✓

Integrations

What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.

Distribution

Leader
3 total
  • GitHub
  • Webhooks
  • Warp terminal
Independently observed

Zot

1 total
  • Stacker
Independently observed
Still deciding?

Distribution or Zot: which one depends on you

A composite score cannot know your constraints. Describe them and both get re-weighted against what you actually need, with the evidence behind every position.

Free to run, no account needed to start. How the evaluation works

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.