Free Container Registry Hosting and Deployment Solutions: A Complete Guide

You can host container images for free using Docker Hub, GitHub Container Registry, GitLab, Quay.io, Harbor-based services, and ephemeral registries like ttl.sh, then deploy them at no cost on platforms such as Koyeb, Northflank, and Daestro.

The ripienaar/free-for-dev repository maintains a curated index of no-cost developer infrastructure, including multiple free container registry hosting and deployment solutions suitable for CI/CD pipelines, open-source projects, and prototyping. This guide extracts the specific platforms listed in the project's README, detailing their free-tier limits, architectural roles, and practical implementation patterns.

Free Container Registries for Image Storage

Container registries store and distribute OCI-compatible images. The following services offer free tiers for hosting Docker images without requiring paid subscriptions.

Harbor-Based Container Registry Service

According to README line 1595, a Harbor-based solution provides 1 GB of private storage for container images. Harbor is an open-source, OCI-compliant registry that supports vulnerability scanning and role-based access control.

You can push images using standard Docker CLI commands:

docker tag my-app:latest <registry-endpoint>/my-project/my-app:latest
docker push <registry-endpoint>/my-project/my-app:latest

Docker Hub

Docker Hub, referenced at README line 1596, offers one private repository and unlimited public repositories on its free tier. As the default registry for Docker Engine, it integrates seamlessly with CI/CD tools.

# Log in to Docker Hub

docker login -u <username>

# Tag and push

docker tag my-app:latest <username>/my-app:latest
docker push <username>/my-app:latest

Quay.io

Red Hat's Quay.io, listed at README line 1598, provides unlimited free public repositories. Private repositories require a paid plan. Quay includes automatic security scanning and build triggers.

docker tag my-app:latest quay.io/<username>/my-app:latest
docker push quay.io/<username>/my-app:latest

GitHub Container Registry

GitHub Packages includes a container registry (GHCR) with unlimited public and private storage for public repositories. Free accounts have limited storage for private repositories. It integrates directly with GitHub Actions.

# Authenticate using GitHub token

echo $GITHUB_TOKEN | docker login ghcr.io -u <username> --password-stdin

# Push

docker tag my-app:latest ghcr.io/<username>/<repo>/my-app:latest
docker push ghcr.io/<username>/<repo>/my-app:latest

GitLab Container Registry

GitLab offers free private container storage for public projects, with limited storage for private projects on free tiers. It works natively with GitLab CI pipelines.

docker tag my-app:latest registry.gitlab.com/<username>/<project>/my-app:latest
docker push registry.gitlab.com/<username>/<project>/my-app:latest

ttl.sh (Ephemeral Registry)

Listed at README line 1599, ttl.sh provides an anonymous, ephemeral registry where images expire after 24 hours. This is ideal for CI artifacts or temporary testing without storage costs.

# Generate random tag

TTL_TAG=$(uuidgen | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')

# Tag and push

docker tag my-app:latest ttl.sh/$TTL_TAG
docker push ttl.sh/$TTL_TAG

# Image available for 24 hours

docker pull ttl.sh/$TTL_TAG

Play with Docker

Referenced at README line 1597, Play with Docker provides an interactive browser-based sandbox for spinning up Docker hosts. While not a persistent registry, it allows testing container builds and deployments without local installation.

Free Container Deployment Platforms

Once images are stored in a registry, these platforms provide free hosting and execution environments for running containers.

Koyeb

According to README line 1002, Koyeb offers a free tier with 512 MiB RAM, 2 GiB storage, and 0.1 vCPU for deploying Docker containers globally. Koyeb provisions lightweight edge nodes and handles HTTPS, autoscaling, and health checks.

Deploy using the CLI:

# Install Koyeb CLI

curl -sSL https://cli.koyeb.com/install | sh

# Authenticate

koyeb login

# Deploy from Docker Hub

koyeb service create \
  --name my-service \
  --region fra \
  --runtime docker \
  --image <username>/my-app:latest \
  --port 8080

Northflank

Listed at README line 1004, Northflank provides a free tier supporting 2 services, 2 cron jobs, and 1 database. The platform pulls images from Docker Hub, Quay.io, or private registries (using stored credentials) and runs them on managed VMs.

Example workflow using GitHub Container Registry and Northflank:

# .github/workflows/build.yml

name: Build and Push
on: [push]
jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v2
      - name: Log in to GHCR
        run: echo "${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}" | docker login ghcr.io -u ${{ github.actor }} --password-stdin
      - name: Build and push
        run: |
          docker build -t ghcr.io/${{ github.repository }}/my-app:latest .
          docker push ghcr.io/${{ github.repository }}/my-app:latest

Then configure Northflank to deploy from ghcr.io/<owner>/<repo>/my-app:latest.

Daestro

Referenced at README line 996, Daestro offers compute jobs across cloud providers with a free tier that includes 1 container registry. You can store Docker images in Daestro's built-in registry and trigger on-demand job execution.

Practical Implementation Examples

Complete CI/CD Pipeline with ttl.sh

For temporary testing without polluting permanent registries:

name: CI-test-ttl
on: [push]

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      
      - name: Build image
        run: docker build -t ttl.sh/${{ github.sha }} .
      
      - name: Push to ttl.sh
        run: docker push ttl.sh/${{ github.sha }}
      
      - name: Verify deployment capability
        run: |
          docker pull ttl.sh/${{ github.sha }}
          docker run --rm ttl.sh/${{ github.sha }} --version

Multi-Registry Strategy

Store production images in Docker Hub or GitHub Container Registry while using ttl.sh for pull-request previews:

# Production image (persistent)

docker tag my-app:prod ghcr.io/myorg/my-app:prod
docker push ghcr.io/myorg/my-app:prod

# PR preview (ephemeral)

docker tag my-app:pr-123 ttl.sh/pr-123-preview
docker push ttl.sh/pr-123-preview

Summary

• Docker Hub provides the most straightforward free tier with one private repository and unlimited public repositories, making it ideal for open-source projects.
• GitHub Container Registry and GitLab Container Registry integrate natively with their respective CI/CD platforms, offering unlimited public storage and seamless authentication via repository tokens.
• ttl.sh serves as the optimal solution for temporary CI artifacts or security-sensitive builds that should not persist in permanent storage.
• Koyeb, Northflank, and Daestro provide zero-cost container deployment infrastructure, allowing you to run production workloads without provisioning servers.
• The Harbor-based Container Registry Service offers 1 GB of private OCI-compatible storage suitable for teams requiring self-hosted pipeline integration.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best free container registry for private Docker images?

Docker Hub offers the most generous free tier for private storage, providing one private repository with no storage time limits. If you require multiple private repositories without payment, GitHub Container Registry allows unlimited private storage for public repositories, while private repositories on free accounts have storage limits. For teams already using GitLab, the GitLab Container Registry provides similar integration benefits.

How does ttl.sh differ from permanent container registries?

ttl.sh operates as an ephemeral, anonymous registry where images automatically expire after 24 hours, unlike permanent registries such as Docker Hub or GHCR that store images indefinitely until manually deleted. This makes ttl.sh ideal for CI/CD pipelines testing pull requests or temporary builds where long-term storage would create unnecessary costs and security surface area. You do not need authentication to push to ttl.sh, simplifying automated workflows.

Can I deploy containers directly from GitHub Actions without using Docker Hub?

Yes, you can deploy directly from GitHub Container Registry (GHCR) without intermediary registries. GitHub Actions workflows can authenticate to GHCR using the built-in GITHUB_TOKEN secret, push images to ghcr.io/<owner>/<repo>:tag, and then trigger deployment platforms like Koyeb, Northflank, or Daestro to pull from that registry. This approach eliminates Docker Hub rate limits and keeps your container infrastructure within the GitHub ecosystem.

What are the resource limits for free container deployment on Koyeb?

Koyeb's free tier provides 512 MiB of RAM, 2 GiB of storage, and 0.1 vCPU per service instance. These resources are sufficient for lightweight microservices, static site generators, and small API servers. Koyeb automatically provisions SSL certificates, handles HTTP/HTTPS routing, and provides health checks without additional configuration. If your application exceeds these limits, you must upgrade to a paid tier or scale horizontally across multiple free services.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}