Earthly vs Cloud Native Buildpacks Pack

Earthly8.6Visit CNCloud Native Buildpacks Pack8.5Visit

Higher score Earthly #6 in Container Build Tools 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Earthly

vs

CN Cloud Native Buildpacks Pack #7 in Container Build Tools 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Pack

• Earthly fits best

  Portable builds with local and remote caching

• Cloud Native Buildpacks Pack fits best

  Source-to-image builds using buildpacks

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	Earthly 8.6/10 Visit ↗	CNCloud Native Buildpacks Pack 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.6	8.5
Ranking	#6 in Container Build Tools	#7 in Container Build Tools
Best for	Portable builds with local and remote caching	Source-to-image builds using buildpacks
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted, Desktop	Self-hosted
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux	Linux, macOS, Windows
Support	Email, Community, Docs	Community, Docs
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Earthly 2/3 · Cloud Native Buildpacks Pack 2/3
Multi-architecture builds	✓	✓
SBOM generation	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Build secret handling	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Build method	Local_daemon	Local_daemon
Build cache backends	Multiple	Multiple
Concurrent builds	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	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	Builds runnable images from application source with buildpacks and builders Supports rebasing, multiple cache types, and Linux/amd64 or Linux/arm64 targets Provides image inspection, SBOM retrieval, extensions, and trusted-builder controls
Cons	The official repository says Earthly is no longer actively maintained Earthfile syntax adds a dedicated workflow layer to build pipelines Remote runners and persistent cloud caching extend the platform beyond local builds	Requires a container runtime such as Docker or Podman Buildpack workflows are narrower than Dockerfile-oriented tools Command-line workflows may require buildpack and builder knowledge
Our verdict	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 →	Cloud Native Buildpacks Pack is an open-source command-line tool for building runnable container images from application source code. It is designed for application developers, buildpack authors, and platform operators working in local… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• 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

• Cloud Native Buildpacks Pack — where it wins

  • Builds runnable images from application source with buildpacks and builders
  • Supports rebasing, multiple cache types, and Linux/amd64 or Linux/arm64 targets
  • Provides image inspection, SBOM retrieval, extensions, and trusted-builder controls

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires a container runtime such as Docker or Podman
  • Buildpack workflows are narrower than Dockerfile-oriented tools
  • Command-line workflows may require buildpack and builder knowledge

• Earthly8.6/10 · Free plan

  A portable build system with caching, parallel targets, and broad CI integration.

  Visit EarthlyFull verdict →
• CNCloud Native Buildpacks Pack8.5/10 · Free plan

  A focused, open-source choice for source-to-image builds through buildpacks.

  Visit PackFull verdict →