Free hardened images now compete on updates, not just price
Minimus made its full image catalog free this week, adding another free option for . The main choices now include Chainguard, RapidFort, Docker DHI, and Minimus, while Bitnami has moved toward a paid model.
At first glance, these options can look similar because their fresh images are small and usually show very few CVEs. The better comparison is how quickly each provider rebuilds an image after a new upstream issue appears.
s also differ on whether they allow , whether they force users onto the latest release, and whether they cover less common services. Bitnami’s change is a reminder that today’s free offer may not stay the same later.
Key points
- Minimus opened its full hardened image catalog for free.
- The free options being compared are Chainguard, RapidFort, Docker DHI, and Minimus.
- Bitnami is mentioned as a warning because it moved toward paid access.
- A low CVE count on a fresh image is not enough to choose between .
- The useful checks are rebuild speed, , catalog depth, and whether the free deal is likely to last.