# Harbor vs Zot

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Harbor

| Attribute | Harbor | Zot |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 65.8 (77% (high)) | 53.6 (75% (high)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 58 | 67 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 31 | 0 |
| adoption.github_stars | 29,540 | 2,865 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"Harbor is an open source registry that secures artifacts with policies and role-based access control, ensures images are scanned and free from vulnerabilities, and signs images as trusted. It is indexed under Container Registries.","source":"https://goharbor.io","question":"What is Harbor?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Harbor 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://goharbor.io","question":"Is Harbor free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Harbor supports the web and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://goharbor.io","question":"What platforms does Harbor support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Harbor can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://goharbor.io","question":"Can Harbor be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 4 integrations for Harbor, including Trivy, Cosign, Redis and Valkey. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://goharbor.io","question":"What does Harbor integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Harbor 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/goharbor/harbor","question":"Is Harbor open source?","confidence":0.95}]` | `[{"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 | `{"on_prem":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | A self-hosted Docker Distribution extension that provides centralized storage for container images and Helm charts with integrated security features including image signing, vulnerability scanning, user authentication, access control, and cross-registry replication. | 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 | `{"rbac":true,"web_ui":true,"hosting":"self","image_signing":true,"oci_compliant":true,"private_repos":true,"artifact_types":"images_helm","high_availability":true,"pull_through_cache":true,"replication_mirroring":true,"vulnerability_scanning":true}` | `{"rbac":true,"hosting":"both","oci_compliant":true,"private_repos":true,"artifact_types":"images","vulnerability_scanning":true}` |
| integrations.count | 6 | 1 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Trivy"},{"name":"Cosign"},{"name":"Redis"},{"name":"Valkey"},{"name":"LDAP","native":true,"category":"auth","direction":"inbound"},{"name":"Active Directory","native":true,"category":"auth","direction":"inbound"},{"name":"Docker","native":true,"direction":"outbound"},{"name":"Helm","native":true,"direction":"outbound"}]` | `[{"name":"Stacker"}]` |
| language.primary | Go | Go |
| license.spdx | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"web":true,"linux":true}` | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://goharbor.io","retrievedAt":"2026-10-13T15:18:28.787Z"}` | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://zotregistry.dev","retrievedAt":"2026-08-03T13:02:43.251Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | open_source | open_source |
| pricing.price_level | free | free |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| release.cadence_days | 3 | 31 |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/goharbor/harbor/releases/tag/v2.14.6-rc1","date":"2026-10-13T05:53:24Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.14.6-rc1"},{"url":"https://github.com/goharbor/harbor/releases/tag/v2.15.4","date":"2026-10-09T03:28:27Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.15.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/goharbor/harbor/releases/tag/v2.15.4-rc1","date":"2026-10-08T12:46:11Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.15.4-rc1"},{"url":"https://github.com/goharbor/harbor/releases/tag/v2.15.3","date":"2026-10-06T13:11:19Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.15.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/goharbor/harbor/releases/tag/v2.14.5","date":"2026-10-06T15:47:31Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.14.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/goharbor/harbor/releases/tag/v2.13.6","date":"2026-10-06T15:48:37Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.13.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/goharbor/harbor/releases/tag/v2.15.3-rc2","date":"2026-09-24T02:31:00Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.15.3-rc2"},{"url":"https://github.com/goharbor/harbor/releases/tag/v2.15.3-rc1","date":"2026-09-11T02:50:26Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.15.3-rc1"},{"url":"https://github.com/goharbor/harbor/releases/tag/v2.15.2","date":"2026-07-02T10:04:51Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.15.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/goharbor/harbor/releases/tag/v2.15.2-rc3","date":"2026-07-02T03:31:08Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.15.2-rc3"},{"url":"https://github.com/goharbor/harbor/releases/tag/v2.15.2-rc2","date":"2026-06-27T08:03:52Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.15.2-rc2"},{"url":"https://github.com/goharbor/harbor/releases/tag/v2.15.2-rc1","date":"2026-06-17T07:35:43Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.15.2-rc1"},{"url":"https://github.com/goharbor/harbor/releases/tag/v2.14.4","date":"2026-05-11T04:08:08Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.14.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/goharbor/harbor/releases/tag/v2.14.4-rc1","date":"2026-05-10T03:47:44Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.14.4-rc1"},{"url":"https://github.com/goharbor/harbor/releases/tag/v2.15.1","date":"2026-05-06T08:48:20Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.15.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/goharbor/harbor/releases/tag/v2.15.1-rc2","date":"2026-05-06T08:24:03Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.15.1-rc2"},{"url":"https://github.com/goharbor/harbor/releases/tag/v2.15.1-rc1","date":"2026-04-29T08:21:43Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.15.1-rc1"},{"url":"https://github.com/goharbor/harbor/releases/tag/v2.15.0","date":"2026-03-20T04:36:02Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.15.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/goharbor/harbor/releases/tag/v2.15.0-rc4","date":"2026-03-19T08:37:39Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.15.0-rc4"},{"url":"https://github.com/goharbor/harbor/releases/tag/v2.15.0-rc3","date":"2026-03-17T06:27:45Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.15.0-rc3"}]` | `[{"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.disclosure_policy | yes | - |
| security.scorecard | 7.5 | 8 |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":1,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Fgoharbor%2Fharbor%2Fsrc&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":"HIGH"}` | `{"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 | Harbor | Zot |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Hosting | Self-hosted only | Cloud + self-hosted |
| **Standards** |  |  |
| OCI Distribution Spec compliant | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Scope** |  |  |
| Artifact types | Images + Helm/OCI artifacts | 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 2026-10-16T20:59:37.410Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*
