Quick Answer
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Docker pricing varies by team size and features, ranging from $0 to $0 per user/month in 2026. Your actual cost depends on the tier you choose, contract length, and negotiated discounts.

Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.

  • Free tier: No free tier available
  • Billing: Monthly and annual (save 15-20%)
  • Hidden costs: Add ~35% for implementation, support, and training

Hidden Costs Breakdown

1

Docker Hub consumption-based pricing: once you exceed your plan's included image pulls, overage fees apply - high-volume CI/CD pipelines can generate thousands of pulls daily

2

Docker Build Cloud minutes beyond plan limits cost extra - teams running frequent builds in CI can exhaust 200-1,500 minutes quickly, requiring additional minute purchases

3

Testcontainers Cloud runtime minutes are limited (100-500/month) and overages cost extra - integration test-heavy teams may need to purchase additional minutes

4

Commercial use licensing: companies with 250+ employees OR $10M+ revenue MUST purchase a paid subscription - using the free Personal plan violates Docker's terms and risks audit

5

Docker Scout advanced features and remote analysis beyond included repos require upgrading - vulnerability scanning at scale across all repos needs Team or Business tier

6

Storage costs on Docker Hub: while public repos are free, private image storage beyond plan limits incurs additional monthly charges

Example: True Cost for 25 Users

License (25 × $0 × 12) $0/yr
Implementation (one-time) +$15,000–$50,000
Premium Support (20%) +$0/yr
Training (25 × $500) +$12,500
Admin (part-time) +$15,000–$25,000/yr
Year 1 Total $25,000–$60,000
That's 1.8–2.5× the advertised license price.

Frequently Asked Questions

01 What hidden costs should I budget for with Docker?

Beyond the license fee, budget for implementation ($5K-$100K+), training ($500-$2K per user), premium support (15-20% of license), and admin costs. Most companies see 40-60% higher total cost than the listed price.

02 Does Docker charge for implementation?

Docker doesn't include implementation in the license cost. Implementation is typically done by partners and costs range from $5,000 for basic setup to $100,000+ for enterprise deployments with customization.

03 How much does Docker support cost?

Basic support is included, but premium support (faster response times, 24/7 availability) typically adds 15-20% to your annual contract. This can be thousands of dollars per year for larger deployments.

04 Are there storage costs with Docker?

Most Docker plans include limited storage. Once you exceed the included amount, you'll pay overage fees which can range from $50-$500+ per month depending on data volume.

05 What add-ons cost extra with Docker?

Many features marketed as part of Docker are actually add-ons: advanced reporting, API access, integrations, and specialized modules. Each can add $10-$100+ per user per month.

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