Yes, Docker has a permanent free tier alongside its paid plans. The free plan includes 1 user included, 1 Docker Scout-enabled repository included, and 100 Docker Hub pulls per hour included. FreeTier.co estimates the free tier at about $3.00/mo.
About
Docker is a container platform that helps developers build, test, ship, and run software consistently across environments. It brings together containerization, image distribution, security tooling, and developer workflows for local development and cloud deployment.
The platform supports modern application development with products for containerized apps, trusted images, supply chain security, AI agent workflows, and container orchestration. It is designed to improve reproducibility, simplify collaboration, and help teams move from local development to production with fewer environment-specific issues.
- Containerize applications and run them locally with Docker Desktop.
- Discover, share, and manage container images through Docker Hub.
- Improve software supply chain security with Docker Scout and hardened images.
- Support AI and agent workflows with MCP tooling, sandboxes, and model-running capabilities.
- Scale from individual development to team and enterprise use cases.
Free Tier Value
This free tier is a small but real starter package: one user, one private repo, one Scout-enabled repo, and a capped 100 pulls per hour. Compared with the cheapest paid plan at $9/month, it looks like roughly a third of the practical value, so about $3/month. A credit card is not clearly waived on the page, and the offer is perpetual but tightly capped rather than unlimited.
What's included in the free tier
Verified
- Docker Desktop access for containerizing applications.
- Docker Engine and Kubernetes included for local container orchestration.
- Docker Hub access for discovering and sharing container images.
- Docker Scout access for supply-chain insights.
- Docker Debug access for troubleshooting containers.
- 1 user included.
- 1 Docker Scout-enabled repository included.
- 100 Docker Hub pulls per hour included.
- 1 private Docker Hub repository included.
- Docker Build Cloud and Testcontainers Cloud free trial included.
See Docker pricing for current limits.
Paid plans
Pro
- users
- 1
- Docker Scout-enabled repos
- 2
- Docker Hub pull rate
- Unlimited
- Docker Build Cloud build minutes
- 200/month
- Testcontainers Cloud runtime minutes
- 100/month
- Docker Build Cloud
- Testcontainers Cloud
- Synchronized File Shares
- Visibility into Docker Scout health scores
- 5 business day support response
Team
- users
- Up to 100
- Docker Scout-enabled repos
- Unlimited
- Docker Hub pull rate
- Unlimited
- private Docker Hub repos
- Unlimited
- Docker Build Cloud build minutes
- 500/month
- Testcontainers Cloud runtime minutes
- 500/month
- Add users in bulk
- Audit logs
- Docker Hub role-based access control
- 2 business day support response
Business
- users
- No user cap
- Docker Scout-enabled repos
- Unlimited
- Docker Hub pull rate
- Unlimited
- private Docker Hub repos
- Unlimited
- Docker Build Cloud build minutes
- 1,500/month
- Testcontainers Cloud runtime minutes
- 1,500/month
- Hardened Docker Desktop
- Single Sign-On (SSO)
- SCIM user provisioning
- Image and Registry Access Management
- Desktop Insights Dashboard
- Enhanced container Isolation (ECI)
- Purchase via invoice
- 1 business day support response
Pricing extracted from Docker's pricing page. Always verify current pricing before committing.
Common questions
Is Docker free forever?
Yes. Docker has a permanent free tier alongside its paid plans, though the allowance typically resets each month.
What happens when you exceed Docker's free tier?
You move to a paid plan. Docker's cheapest paid plan is Pro at $9 / seat / month.
What is Docker's free tier worth?
Docker's free tier is worth about $3.00 per month. That maps to an FTV score of 40/100. The FTV score is explained at freetier.co/ftv.
