Best Earthly Alternatives in 2026
The top Earthly alternatives are BuildKit, Docker Buildx and Buildah: 15 container build tools our editors would look at instead of Earthly, in our ranking order.
Earthly: A portable build system with caching, parallel targets, and broad CI integration. Where it falls short: the official repository says earthly is no longer actively maintained.
Switching from Earthly? For most container build tools buyers the best Earthly alternative is BuildKit, built for general-purpose, extensible container builds. On a budget, Depot starts at $20/mo. Google Cloud Build offers the most concurrent builds (10 builds).
Why People Look for an Earthly Alternative
- The official repository says Earthly is no longer actively maintained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
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallBuildKit9.4
General-purpose, extensible container builds
Visit BuildKit - Lowest priceDepot8.8
Paid plans from $20/mo
Visit Depot - Best free optionBuildKit9.4
Has a free plan
Visit BuildKit - Most concurrent buildsGoogle Cloud Build8.3
10 builds
Visit Google Cloud Build
All 15 Earthly Alternatives, Ranked
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.
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Best forGeneral-purpose, extensible container builds
- Better than Earthly:
- Editor score 9.4 vs 8.6
A flexible, open-source builder for concurrent, cached, multi-platform container builds.
9.4/10★★★★★Visit BuildKit -
Best forDocker users needing advanced builds
- Better than Earthly:
- Editor score 9.3 vs 8.6
A free BuildKit interface for multi-platform, cached, and attested image builds.
- SBOM generation
- Build secret handling
- Multi-architecture builds
9.3/10★★★★★Visit Docker -
Best forFree daemonless Linux image builds
- Better than Earthly:
- Editor score 8.9 vs 8.6
A free, daemonless Linux tool for building and managing container images.
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit Buildah -
Best forTeams needing fast managed remote builds
- Better than Earthly:
- Editor score 8.8 vs 8.6
A capable remote BuildKit platform for teams that need speed, caching, and multi-architecture builds.
- SBOM generation
- Build secret handling
- Multi-architecture builds
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Depot -
Best forDaemonless builds in Kubernetes environments
- Better than Earthly:
- Editor score 8.7 vs 8.6
A focused open-source choice for daemonless Dockerfile builds in Kubernetes.
- Build secret handling
- Multi-architecture builds
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Kaniko -
Best forSource-to-image builds using buildpacks
A focused, open-source choice for source-to-image builds through buildpacks.
- SBOM generation
- Multi-architecture builds
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Pack -
Best forProgrammable CI and container build workflows
A code-first CI platform for portable, observable container build workflows.
- Build secret handling
- Multi-architecture builds
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Dagger -
Best forManaged cloud-native container build pipelines
A capable managed build service for teams already operating in Google Cloud.
- SBOM generation
- Build secret handling
- Multi-architecture builds
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Google Cloud -
Best forAutomated application images from source
A focused, free way to automate OCI image builds from supported application runtimes.
- SBOM generation
- Build secret handling
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Paketo -
Best forJava projects using Maven or Gradle
A focused, open-source choice for Java teams building images through Maven or Gradle.
- Multi-architecture builds
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Jib -
Best forFast container images for Go applications
A focused, open-source builder for fast Go images and Kubernetes workflows.
- SBOM generation
- Multi-architecture builds
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit ko -
Best forHermetic Bazel-based OCI builds
A deep Bazel-native option for daemonless, hermetic OCI image builds.
- Multi-architecture builds
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit rules_img -
Best forKubernetes-native build orchestration
A flexible Kubernetes-native build layer for teams managing their own clusters.
- Build secret handling
- Multi-architecture builds
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Shipwright -
Best forBuildpack lifecycle implementation work
A lower-level, open-source lifecycle engine for producing OCI images with buildpacks.
- SBOM generation
- Multi-architecture builds
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit site -
Best forReproducible minimal APK-based OCI images
A focused, daemonless builder for reproducible Alpine- and Wolfi-based OCI images.
- SBOM generation
- Multi-architecture builds
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit apko
Earthly Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Earthly?
BuildKit: #1 in our Container Build Tools ranking, with an editor score of 9.4 out of 10. A flexible, open-source builder for concurrent, cached, multi-platform container builds.
Is there a free alternative to Earthly?
Yes. BuildKit, Docker Buildx, Buildah, Kaniko and Cloud Native Buildpacks Pack have a free plan or a free tier (14 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
Why do people look for Earthly alternatives?
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.
Which Earthly alternative has the most concurrent builds?
Google Cloud Build, with 10 builds.
How do I switch from Earthly?
Export your data from Earthly (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Earthly.
How to Switch from Earthly
- Export your data from Earthly (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Earthly.
Earthly vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Build method | Multi-architecture builds | Build cache backends | SBOM generation | Build secret handling | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Earthly | Yes | Free | Local_daemon | Yes | Multiple | Yes | 8.6 | |
| 1 | BuildKit | Yes | Free | 9.4 | |||||
| 2 | Docker Buildx | Yes | Free | Local_daemon | Yes | Multiple | Yes | Yes | 9.3 |
| 3 | Buildah | Yes | Free | 8.9 | |||||
| 4 | Depot | No | $20/mo | Remote | Yes | Local | Yes | Yes | 8.8 |
| 5 | Kaniko | Yes | Free | Daemonless | Yes | Multiple | Yes | 8.7 | |
| 6 | Cloud Native Buildpacks Pack | Yes | Free | Local_daemon | Yes | Multiple | Yes | 8.5 | |
| 7 | Dagger | Yes | Yes | Local | Yes | 8.4 | |||
| 8 | Google Cloud Build | Yes | $0.006/unit usage-based | Remote | Yes | Multiple | Yes | Yes | 8.3 |
| 9 | Paketo Buildpacks | Yes | Free | Local_daemon | Local | Yes | Yes | 8.2 | |
| 10 | Jib | Free | Daemonless | Yes | Local | 8.1 | |||
| 11 | ko | Free | Daemonless | Yes | Multiple | Yes | 8.0 | ||
| 12 | rules_img | Free | Daemonless | Yes | Multiple | 7.9 | |||
| 13 | Shipwright | Free | Yes | Multiple | No | Yes | 7.8 | ||
| 14 | Cloud Native Buildpacks Lifecycle | Free | Yes | Multiple | Yes | 7.7 | |||
| 15 | apko | Yes | Free | Daemonless | Yes | Yes | 7.6 |
Head-to-Head
- Earthly vs BuildKit
- Earthly vs Docker Buildx
- Earthly vs Buildah
- Earthly vs Depot
- Earthly vs Kaniko
- Earthly vs Cloud Native Buildpacks Pack
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update