Keppel review

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Keppel is an open-source container image registry for organizations that need self-hosted infrastructure, multi-tenant storage, and registry-compatible APIs. It implements the OCI Distribution API and uses account-specific backing storage, supporting quota and usage tracking at the storage level. The single binary includes client and server commands, while integrations with Docker, Kubernetes, and OpenStack support common container and cloud infrastructure workflows. It is best suited to teams that want control over deployment and regional registry topology rather than a vendor-hosted subscription service.

Its strongest capability is the combination of tenancy and regional coordination. Keppel supports federation across regions, replication between peer instances, and configurable image garbage-collection policies. Online garbage collection can help maintain storage while the registry remains active. Tag policies add controls for blocking deletion, overwriting, or pushing, and the published category specifications include immutable tags and retention policies. Together, these features make Keppel a practical option for organizations that need account-aware storage and policy controls across multiple registry instances.

Operational ownership is the main trade-off. Keppel is self-hosted, so the organization is responsible for deploying and running the registry infrastructure. Vulnerability scanning is available through an optional Trivy integration, rather than as a standalone built-in scanning service. Its replication scope is regional, which is a good match for geographically distributed deployments but may be less suitable for teams seeking a broader distribution model. Choose Keppel when open-source control, multi-tenancy, regional federation, and registry APIs matter most; consider another registry when a vendor-hosted service or a different replication model is the priority.

Keppel pros and cons

• Where it wins
  • Account-specific backing storage supports multi-tenant isolation and usage tracking.
  • Federation and replication connect registry instances across regions.
  • Tag policies, garbage collection, and optional Trivy scanning support governance.
• Where it doesn't
  • Self-hosted deployment puts infrastructure and operations on the organization.
  • Trivy vulnerability scanning is optional rather than included by default.
  • Replication is regional, which may not suit broader distribution requirements.

Keppel fact sheet, pricing and score →

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Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update