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Amazon Elastic Container Registry
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What Amazon Elastic Container Registry is
Amazon Elastic Container Registry (ECR) is a managed registry for storing, sharing, and deploying container images and software artifacts. It integrates with Amazon ECS and Amazon EKS, supports OCI standards and the Docker Registry HTTP API V2, and works with Docker CLI commands for pushing, pulling, listing, and tagging. ECR can be accessed from cloud, on-premises, or local Docker environments and connected to third-party developer tools and CI workflows. Its public gallery contains base images, Kubernetes add-ons, and Helm charts that anyone can search or pull without an AWS account. Pull-through caches can retrieve and synchronize artifacts from public registries. Private repositories use IAM access policies, HTTPS transfers, and S3 server-side encryption, with optional AWS KMS keys. Managed image signing and Amazon Inspector vulnerability assessment are supported. Images can replicate across AWS Regions. Pay-as-you-go billing charges for stored and internet-transferred data, with pricing from $0.10/mo.
Who it suits
ECR suits startups, enterprises, nonprofits, and governments using container software with AWS services or external development tools. It also serves teams needing public image distribution or multi-Region replication.
What it does well
- Integrates with Amazon ECS and EKS
- Supports OCI and Docker Registry V2
- Provides public image gallery
- Offers image signing and vulnerability assessment
- Supports multi-Region replication
What to know first
- Charges for stored and transferred data
- Pricing applies above listed free allowances
- Transfers over 500 TB monthly require contacting AWS
- Private access depends on IAM policies
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Pay-as-you-go | By data stored and data transferred to the internet; no upfront fees or commitments. · 500 MB/month private repository storage for new ECR customers for one year · 50 GB/month always-free public repository storage · Public repository internet transfer free up to 500 GB/month anonymously or 5 TB/month with an AWS account | On request |
As aws.amazon.com lists them, read 2 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
ECR covers registry storage, distribution, security controls, caching, and replication for container artifacts. New customers receive limited private storage for one year, while public storage and transfer include stated always-free allowances.
Facts from Amazon Elastic Container Registry's own pages
- Access control and encryption
- ECR uses IAM policies to control access to private images, transfers images over HTTPS, and encrypts images at rest using S3 server-side encryption, with an option to use an AWS KMS key. · aws.amazon.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Availability and replication
- ECR stores images and artifacts in Amazon S3 and can automatically replicate them to multiple AWS Regions. · aws.amazon.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Compliance
- AWS says it supports 143 security standards and compliance certifications, including PCI-DSS, HIPAA/HITECH, FedRAMP, GDPR, FIPS 140-3, and NIST 800-171. · aws.amazon.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Development environments
- AWS says ECR can be accessed from Docker environments in the cloud, on-premises, or on a local machine. · aws.amazon.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Image cache
- Pull through cache repositories retrieve, store, and sync artifacts from publicly accessible container registries. · aws.amazon.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Image security
- ECR supports managed container image signing, which can be configured in the console or through an API call to sign new images pushed to selected repositories. · aws.amazon.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- AWS describes its customers as ranging from startups and enterprises to nonprofits and governments. · aws.amazon.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Orchestrators
- ECR integrates with Amazon ECS and Amazon EKS so they can retrieve images specified in task or pod definitions. · aws.amazon.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Pricing limit
- For data transfer exceeding 500 TB per month, AWS directs customers to contact it. · aws.amazon.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Public gallery
- The ECR public gallery hosts publicly shared container software, including base images, Kubernetes add-ons, and Helm charts; AWS accounts are not required to search or pull public images. · aws.amazon.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Amazon ECR is a fully managed container registry for storing, sharing, and deploying container software and artifacts. · aws.amazon.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Standards and tools
- ECR supports OCI standards, the Docker Registry HTTP API V2, and Docker CLI commands such as push, pull, list, and tag. · aws.amazon.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Third-party integrations
- ECR integrates with third-party developer tools and can be included in continuous integration and delivery workflows. · aws.amazon.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Vulnerability scanning
- AWS describes using the integrated Amazon Inspector service to automate container image vulnerability assessment and remediation ticket routing. · aws.amazon.com, 2 Oct 2026
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