Distribution vs Quay
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted developer tools & git options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Distribution
Toolkit to pack, ship, store and deliver container content
VS
Quay
Enterprise-grade container image registry
| Feature | Distribution | Quay |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 10,553 | ★ 2,815 |
| First released | 2015 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Docker Hub | Docker Hub, Harbor |
Why pick each one
Choose Distribution if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
Choose Quay if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Active community (2.8k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Distribution or Quay better?
Distribution is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Quay if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Distribution and Quay free and open-source?
Yes. Distribution is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Quay under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Distribution and Quay with Docker?
Distribution: yes. Quay: yes.