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Head-to-head · Container Registries

Harbor vs 8gears Container Registry

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Harbor #1 in Container Registries 9.4/10 Open source ✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Harbor
8gears Container Registry #3 in Container Registries 9.2/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 4 of 4 features Visit 8gears

Harbor leads on 0 checks, 8gears Container Registry on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreHarbor · 9.4/10
  • Free planonly 8gears Container Registry
  • Free trialonly 8gears Container Registry

Harbor scores higher on our rubric for container registries: 9.4 against 9.2 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #3.

Harbor is the better fit for teams wanting a capable open-source registry. 8gears Container Registry is the better fit for security-focused teams needing a full registry.

  • Harbor fits best

    Teams wanting a capable open-source registry

  • 8gears Container Registry fits best

    Security-focused teams needing a full registry

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 Harbor 9.4/10 Visit ↗ 8gears Container Registry 9.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 9.2
Ranking #1 in Container Registries #3 in Container Registries
Best for Teams wanting a capable open-source registry Security-focused teams needing a full registry
Pricing model Free Free plan + paid
Starting price Open source —
Free plan Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Free trial — 14 days
Deployment Self-hosted Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Web, Linux Web
Support Community, Docs Email, Live chat, Community, Docs
Integrations 9 integrations 12 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Harbor 4/4 · 8gears Container Registry 4/4
Image scanning ✓ ✓
OCI artifacts ✓ ✓
Immutable tags ✓ ✓
Retention policies ✓ ✓
Specs
Replication scope Not checked yet Multi-region
Included storage Not checked yet 1000 GB
Maximum image size Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Supports OCI images, indexes, and other OCI artifacts
  • Combines scanning, signing, immutability, retention, and RBAC
  • Replicates with Harbor and other major registries
  • OCI indexes and Helm charts support broader artifact workflows
  • Scanning, immutability, retention, and signed-image controls strengthen governance
  • Hosted, cloud, on-premises, air-gapped, and self-hosted deployment options
Cons
  • Requires self-hosted deployment and ongoing administration
  • No AI features for AI-assisted registry workflows
  • Web and API access still depend on your hosting environment
  • The Individuals plan includes only 1 GB of storage
  • Community support is limited to the free Individuals plan
  • Advanced authentication and custom SLA are reserved for Enterprise
Our verdict

Harbor is a self-hosted, open-source container registry for organizations managing container images and cloud-native artifacts. It fits teams that want control over deployment and registry policies without a proprietary license. Projects…

Read the review →

8gears Container Registry is a commercial Harbor distribution for teams, enterprises, cloud providers, and independent software vendors that need to store and distribute container images and other OCI artifacts. It supports web, API, and…

Read the review →
  1. HarborContainer Registries 9.4Open source
  2. 8gears Container RegistryContainer Registries 9.2Free plan · 14-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Harbor — where it wins

    • Supports OCI images, indexes, and other OCI artifacts
    • Combines scanning, signing, immutability, retention, and RBAC
    • Replicates with Harbor and other major registries

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires self-hosted deployment and ongoing administration
    • No AI features for AI-assisted registry workflows
    • Web and API access still depend on your hosting environment

  • 8gears Container Registry — where it wins

    • OCI indexes and Helm charts support broader artifact workflows
    • Scanning, immutability, retention, and signed-image controls strengthen governance
    • Hosted, cloud, on-premises, air-gapped, and self-hosted deployment options

    Where it doesn't

    • The Individuals plan includes only 1 GB of storage
    • Community support is limited to the free Individuals plan
    • Advanced authentication and custom SLA are reserved for Enterprise
  • Harbor9.4/10 · Open source

    A self-hosted Harbor registry with strong policy, scanning, signing, and replication controls.

    Visit HarborFull verdict →
  • 8gears Container Registry9.2/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

    A security-focused Harbor registry with OCI support, policy controls, and flexible deployment options.

    Visit 8gearsFull verdict →

More comparisons

All container registries comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update