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Head-to-head · Container Build Tools

BuildKit vs Earthly

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score BuildKit #1 in Container Build Tools 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit BuildKit
Earthly #6 in Container Build Tools 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Earthly

BuildKit leads on 0 checks, Earthly on 0, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreBuildKit · 9.4/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresEarthly · 2 of 3

BuildKit scores higher on our rubric for container build tools: 9.4 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #6.

BuildKit is the better fit for general-purpose, extensible container builds. Earthly is the better fit for portable builds with local and remote caching.

  • BuildKit fits best

    General-purpose, extensible container builds

  • Earthly fits best

    Portable builds with local and remote caching

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature BuildKit 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Earthly 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 8.6
Ranking #1 in Container Build Tools #6 in Container Build Tools
Best for General-purpose, extensible container builds Portable builds with local and remote caching
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted Cloud, Self-hosted, Desktop
Platforms Linux, macOS, Windows Web, Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Community, Docs Email, Community, Docs
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features BuildKit 0/3 · Earthly 2/3
Multi-architecture builds Not checked yet ✓ (best)
SBOM generation Not checked yet Not checked yet
Build secret handling Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Specs
Build method Not checked yet Local_daemon
Build cache backends Not checked yet Multiple
Concurrent builds Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Concurrent dependency resolution with instruction and build-cache management
  • Rootless execution, distributed workers, and multiple output formats
  • Multi-platform builds across Linux, Windows, and macOS clients
  • Isolates builds in containers for repeatable local and CI workflows
  • Supports parallel targets, layer caching, and persistent remote caching
  • Builds multi-platform images plus reusable artifacts and non-image outputs
Cons
  • BuildKit is a builder toolkit, not a general-purpose container runtime
  • Kubernetes CRI implementation is not provided
  • No AI features are included
  • The official repository says Earthly is no longer actively maintained
  • Earthfile syntax adds a dedicated workflow layer to build pipelines
  • Remote runners and persistent cloud caching extend the platform beyond local builds
Our verdict

BuildKit is an open-source toolkit for converting source code into container images and other build artifacts. It is aimed at developers and platform teams that need a general-purpose build engine with extensible frontend formats,…

Read the review →

Earthly is a containerized build framework for software teams that need consistent workflows across developer machines and continuous integration systems. Teams define build logic in Earthfiles, using syntax influenced by Dockerfiles and…

Read the review →
  1. BuildKitContainer Build Tools 9.4Free plan
  2. EarthlyContainer Build Tools 8.6Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • BuildKit — where it wins

    • Concurrent dependency resolution with instruction and build-cache management
    • Rootless execution, distributed workers, and multiple output formats
    • Multi-platform builds across Linux, Windows, and macOS clients

    Where it doesn't

    • BuildKit is a builder toolkit, not a general-purpose container runtime
    • Kubernetes CRI implementation is not provided
    • No AI features are included

  • Earthly — where it wins

    • Isolates builds in containers for repeatable local and CI workflows
    • Supports parallel targets, layer caching, and persistent remote caching
    • Builds multi-platform images plus reusable artifacts and non-image outputs

    Where it doesn't

    • The official repository says Earthly is no longer actively maintained
    • Earthfile syntax adds a dedicated workflow layer to build pipelines
    • Remote runners and persistent cloud caching extend the platform beyond local builds

More comparisons

All container build tools comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update