# GitLab Container Registry vs Zot

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Zot

| Attribute | GitLab Container Registry | Zot |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 44.9 (74% (medium)) | 53.6 (75% (high)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | - | 67 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | - | 0 |
| adoption.github_stars | - | 2,865 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"Store, manage, and organize container images for each GitLab project using an integrated registry. Supports multiple deployment models and tiers with web-based management and CLI access. It is indexed under Container Registries.","source":"https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/packages/container_registry/","question":"What is GitLab Container Registry?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"GitLab Container Registry offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Paid plans are also available: Free, Premium and Ultimate. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/packages/container_registry/","question":"Is GitLab Container Registry free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"GitLab 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://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/packages/container_registry/","question":"What platforms does GitLab Container Registry support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. GitLab Container Registry can be deployed cloud / SaaS and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/packages/container_registry/","question":"Can GitLab Container Registry be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6}]` | `[{"answer":"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. It is indexed under Container Registries.","source":"https://zotregistry.dev","question":"What is Zot?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Zot 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://zotregistry.dev","question":"Is Zot free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Zot supports macOS, Linux and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://zotregistry.dev","question":"What platforms does Zot support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Zot can be deployed cloud / SaaS and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://zotregistry.dev","question":"Can Zot be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Zot 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/project-zot/zot","question":"Is Zot open source?","confidence":0.95}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | GitLab's integrated container registry enables teams to store, manage, and distribute OCI-compliant container images and Helm charts directly within their projects. It supports image signing, private repositories, and multi-architecture image formats. | 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. |
| features.capabilities | `{"web_ui":true,"hosting":"both","image_signing":true,"oci_compliant":true,"private_repos":true,"artifact_types":"images","pull_through_cache":true}` | `{"rbac":true,"hosting":"both","oci_compliant":true,"private_repos":true,"artifact_types":"images","vulnerability_scanning":true}` |
| integrations.count | 1 | 1 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Docker Hub"},{"name":"CI/CD pipelines"}]` | `[{"name":"Stacker"}]` |
| language.primary | - | Go |
| license.spdx | - | Apache-2.0 |
| market.availability | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | - |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"subscription","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Free","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Premium","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Ultimate","contactSales":false}],"summary":"Container Registry included across Free, Premium, and Ultimate GitLab tiers. Free 30-day trial available.","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/packages/container_registry/","retrievedAt":"2026-08-16T21:34:08.326Z","freeTrialDays":30}` | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://zotregistry.dev","retrievedAt":"2026-08-03T13:02:43.251Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | freemium | open_source |
| pricing.price_level | low | free |
| pricing.transparent | - | yes |
| release.cadence_days | - | 31 |
| release.history | - | `[{"url":"https://github.com/project-zot/zot/releases/tag/v2.1.22","date":"2026-10-06T16:50:05Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.22"},{"url":"https://github.com/project-zot/zot/releases/tag/v2.1.21","date":"2026-09-06T18:44:38Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.21"},{"url":"https://github.com/project-zot/zot/releases/tag/v2.1.20","date":"2026-08-04T17:51:30Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.20"},{"url":"https://github.com/project-zot/zot/releases/tag/v2.1.19","date":"2026-08-04T06:46:22Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.19"},{"url":"https://github.com/project-zot/zot/releases/tag/v2.1.18","date":"2026-06-24T15:30:19Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.18"},{"url":"https://github.com/project-zot/zot/releases/tag/v2.1.17","date":"2026-05-18T05:44:37Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.17"},{"url":"https://github.com/project-zot/zot/releases/tag/v2.1.16","date":"2026-04-19T06:26:29Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.16"},{"url":"https://github.com/project-zot/zot/releases/tag/v2.1.15","date":"2026-03-08T22:31:57Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.15"},{"url":"https://github.com/project-zot/zot/releases/tag/v2.1.14","date":"2026-01-25T17:14:38Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.14"},{"url":"https://github.com/project-zot/zot/releases/tag/v2.1.13","date":"2025-12-23T10:14:48Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.13"},{"url":"https://github.com/project-zot/zot/releases/tag/v2.1.12","date":"2025-12-21T20:45:14Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.12"},{"url":"https://github.com/project-zot/zot/releases/tag/v2.1.11","date":"2025-11-20T20:14:44Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.11"},{"url":"https://github.com/project-zot/zot/releases/tag/v2.1.10","date":"2025-10-18T18:46:36Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.10"},{"url":"https://github.com/project-zot/zot/releases/tag/v2.1.9","date":"2025-10-14T16:18:49Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.9"},{"url":"https://github.com/project-zot/zot/releases/tag/v2.1.8","date":"2025-09-01T19:20:42Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.8"},{"url":"https://github.com/project-zot/zot/releases/tag/v2.1.7","date":"2025-08-03T16:35:59Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/project-zot/zot/releases/tag/v2.1.6","date":"2025-07-27T01:14:14Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/project-zot/zot/releases/tag/v2.1.5","date":"2025-06-17T18:04:11Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/project-zot/zot/releases/tag/v2.1.4","date":"2025-06-06T02:31:04Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/project-zot/zot/releases/tag/v2.1.3","date":"2025-05-22T17:04:49Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.1.3"}]` |
| reliability.status_page | yes | - |
| security.scorecard | - | 8 |
| security.trust_center | https://docs.gitlab.com/user/gitlab_duo/security/ | - |
| security.vulnerabilities | - | `{"count":1,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=zotregistry.io%2Fzot&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":"MODERATE"}` |

## Capabilities (Container Registries)

| Capability | GitLab Container Registry | Zot |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Hosting | Cloud + self-hosted | Cloud + self-hosted |
| **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 2026-10-16T20:52:44.606Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*