--- title: "Private, secure, hosted Docker registry" description: "Cloudsmith offers secure, private Docker registries as a service, with cloud native performance. Book a demo today. " canonical_url: "https://cloudsmith.com/product/formats/docker-registry" last_updated: "2026-05-20T19:13:29Z" --- # Private, secure, hosted Docker registry ## Modernize Your **Docker** Container Infrastructure with Cloudsmith Managing a private Docker registry on-premises is costly and time-consuming. It makes integration with teams and build processes in multiple locations complex, and imposes huge performance compromises on distributed teams. Switch to Cloudsmith for a secure, cloud native Docker registry built for global teams. Eliminate on-prem overhead and scale container delivery with confidence. ## Modernize Your Docker Container Infrastructure with Cloudsmith Managing a private Docker registry on-premises is costly and time-consuming. It makes integration with teams and build processes in multiple locations complex, and imposes huge performance compromises on distributed teams. Switch to Cloudsmith for a secure, cloud native Docker registry built for global teams. Eliminate on-prem overhead and scale container delivery with confidence. Docker on Cloudsmith ## **Simplify and streamline operations.** Cloudsmith is a secure, cloud-native store for all your container images and software artifacts. - Use Docker + 30 other formats in one platform - Manage OCI-compliant container images alongside language packages and raw files - Centralize your entire software supply chain with zero infrastructure overhead ## How we support **Docker** Cloudsmith gives you a fully managed, OCI-compliant Docker registry with built-in security, global delivery, and the controls enterprise teams need. No servers to run, no infrastructure to patch. [Read our Docker documentation](https://docs.cloudsmith.com/formats/docker-oci) ### Feature-complete Docker registry Push, pull, tag, inspect, and manage container images using your existing Docker CLI and tooling with no plugins or reconfiguration. Supports OCI image formats, multi-architecture manifests, and Docker v2 schema. ### Global delivery at scale Container images are distributed via Cloudsmith's CDN-backed infrastructure with 600+ edge points of presence, giving distributed teams fast pulls wherever they are. ### Integrated vulnerability scanning Every image is automatically scanned for CVEs and malware on upload. Enforce policies based on CVSS severity or EPSS scores to block or quarantine non-compliant images before they reach your teams. ### Granular access and governance Control access to public and private registries with RBAC, scoped entitlement tokens, and IP allow-listing. Integrates with SAML SSO providers including Okta, Azure AD, and Ping Identity, with a full audit trail. ### Multi-format in one place Store Docker images alongside NPM, Maven, PyPI, Helm, and 25+ other formats in a single platform. One access model, one audit log, one bill - no fragmented tooling. ## Why teams choose Cloudsmith for **Docker** Self-hosted and single-cloud registries trade short-term control for long-term operational burden. Cloudsmith removes that burden entirely. | Without Cloudsmith | With Cloudsmith | | --- | --- | | Self-hosted registries consume engineering time on storage management, NGINX TLS config, SSL certificates, and capacity planning. Every large image push risks hitting proxy size limits or timeout errors. | Cloudsmith manages all infrastructure. There is no hardware to provision, no reverse proxy to configure, and no storage limits to plan around. Push large images without timeout workarounds. | | Distributed teams pulling images from a single-region registry suffer slow pull times, flaky builds, and degraded CI pipelines. Open-source base images pulled repeatedly across many runners compound the problem further. | Cloudsmith's CDN-backed edge network serves images from 600+ global points of presence. Teams in every region get fast, consistent pull speeds without relying on a single-region registry or being subject to upstream rate limits. | | Vulnerability scanning is bolted on after the fact, security policies live in separate tooling, and there is no unified audit trail linking image access to identities and pipelines. | Every image is scanned automatically on upload. OPA Rego policies enforce CVE thresholds across all repositories, and a single audit log ties every push, pull, and policy action to a named identity. | ## Signs you're ready to switch to Cloudsmith for **Docker** If your current registry is costing your team time, slowing builds, or leaving security gaps, Cloudsmith gives you a direct upgrade path with zero infrastructure carry-over. [Book a demo with one of our experts](/book-a-demo) ### Infrastructure overhead is eating sprint capacity If your team is managing disk space, patching registry containers, or debugging NGINX proxy config instead of shipping software, you are paying operational costs that a managed registry eliminates entirely. ### Slow image pulls are hurting build times A single-region registry penalises every remote team and CI runner with high latency pulls. If slow Docker pulls are on your retrospective list, Cloudsmith's global edge network fixes it without topology changes. ### Security scanning is manual or missing Registries without automated CVE scanning leave you discovering vulnerabilities in production. Cloudsmith scans every image on upload and enforces configurable policies before images reach any environment. ### Docker lives in a silo from the rest of your artifacts When your container registry is separate from your package repositories, you get duplicated access controls, split audit trails, and fragmented tooling. Cloudsmith centralises all formats under one roof. ### OCI standard upgrades keep breaking things Container signing, referrers, and OCI image indexes evolve continuously. Self-hosted registries require constant patching to stay compliant. Cloudsmith tracks OCI standards and updates the platform for you. ## Get started with **Docker** on Cloudsmith [Book a demo](/book-a-demo) [View pricing](/pricing) ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Cloudsmith's Docker registry fully compatible with the Docker CLI? Yes. Cloudsmith implements the Docker v2 and OCI Distribution API specifications, so you can use the standard docker push, docker pull, docker tag, and docker inspect commands with no additional plugins or wrappers. ### Does Cloudsmith support OCI image formats and multi-architecture manifests? Yes. Cloudsmith supports OCI-standard image layouts, multi-architecture manifests (manifest lists), and Docker v2 schema images. As OCI standards evolve, Cloudsmith updates the platform so you never need to patch your registry infrastructure. ### How does vulnerability scanning work for Docker images? Every image uploaded to Cloudsmith is automatically scanned for CVEs and malware. You can configure policies using OPA Rego to block, quarantine, or flag images based on CVSS severity thresholds or EPSS scores, preventing non-compliant images from reaching downstream environments. ### Can Cloudsmith proxy and cache Docker Hub and other upstream registries? Yes. Cloudsmith's upstream proxying lets you route pulls from Docker Hub, GitHub Container Registry, and other public registries through your Cloudsmith repository. This eliminates Docker Hub rate-limit disruption and speeds up builds by caching layers close to your runners. ### How do teams authenticate to a Cloudsmith Docker registry? Cloudsmith supports API token authentication, scoped entitlement tokens, and OIDC-based identity federation for CI/CD pipelines. For enterprise teams, SAML SSO integration with Okta, Azure AD, Ping Identity, and other providers gives your existing identity stack full control. ### Can I store Docker images alongside other package formats in the same repository? Yes. Cloudsmith supports 30+ artifact formats in a single platform. You can store Docker images, Helm charts, NPM packages, PyPI wheels, and raw files under one access model, one audit log, and one bill, removing the need for separate registry tooling. ### How does Cloudsmith handle image distribution for globally distributed teams? Cloudsmith's CDN-backed delivery network spans 600+ edge points of presence. Images are served from the closest available node, giving remote teams and CI runners fast, consistent pull times regardless of where they are located. ### How do I migrate my existing Docker images to Cloudsmith? You can re-tag and push images using standard Docker CLI commands. Cloudsmith's documentation covers migration steps in detail, and our team can provide guidance on bulk migration strategies for large registries. ### Does Cloudsmith support retention policies to manage image storage? Yes. You can configure retention rules to automatically remove old or unused image tags based on age, count, or custom criteria. This keeps your registry clean and prevents unbounded storage growth without manual housekeeping. ### What does Cloudsmith's audit trail cover for Docker operations? Every push, pull, delete, policy action, and configuration change is recorded in Cloudsmith's audit log, tied to a named user or token identity. Logs are exportable for compliance reporting or ingestion into third-party SIEM and observability tooling.