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Docker Desktop subscription licensing

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This article is about licensing Docker Desktop and the Docker Personal, Pro, Team and Business plans under the Docker Subscription Service Agreement. It is not about the open source Docker Engine (Moby) license terms, which it only contrasts. It is not legal advice.

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Docker Desktop subscription licensing is how Docker, Inc. licenses Docker Desktop and the services bundled with it (Docker Hub, Docker Build Cloud, Docker Scout, Testcontainers Cloud) under the Docker Subscription Service Agreement (DSSA, last updated 26 August 2026).[1] Docker Desktop is free for personal use, education, non-commercial open source projects and commercial undertakings with fewer than 250 employees and less than US $10,000,000 in annual revenue. Larger organizations and all Government Entities need a paid Pro, Team or Business subscription.[1][2] Paid plans are billed per user per month.[4][5] The open source Docker Engine is licensed separately under the Apache License 2.0.[7] For the general model, see named user licensing and subscription and consumption licensing.

Editions

Docker sells four plans. Docker Personal and Docker Pro upgrade an individual account. Docker Team and Docker Business upgrade an organization.[5][6]

Plan Account type List price (per user/month) Included users What the plan adds 
Docker Personal Individual $0 1 user Docker Desktop, Engine + Kubernetes, Hub, Scout, Debug; 1 private Hub repo[4] 
Docker Pro Individual $9 annual; $11 monthly 1 user Unlimited private repositories, Build Cloud, commercial Docker Desktop use[4][5] 
Docker Team Organization $15 annual; $16 monthly Up to 100 users Audit logs, role-based access control, bulk user add[4][5] 
Docker Business Organization $24 No user cap SSO, SCIM, Hardened Docker Desktop, Image and Registry Access Management, purchase via invoice[4][5] 

The current prices took effect on 10 December 2024 for new customers, and at the first renewal after 9 December 2024 for existing customers. The Pro price rose from $5 to $9 per month (annual) and the Team price from $9 to $15 per user per month (annual).[3] Service Accounts are no longer sold as an add-on on the new plans. Existing Service Account agreements run until their current term expires.[3]

Metrics

Five catalog rows, all using Docker’s own names. The licensing metric is the User. The other rows are consumption allowances that come with each plan.

Docker name Catalog row Unit What Docker says 
User User Individual human (or AI Agent for AI Features) A User is an individual human authorized by Customer to log into or use the Services. On paid tiers this can include employees, consultants, contractors and agents of Customer or its affiliates.[1] 
Seat Seat Organization member Each seat extends entitlements to one more member (Team, Business).[6] 
Build minute Build minute Minute Minutes the builders use to access Docker Build Cloud, whether from a user or an automated system.[3] 
Testcontainers Cloud runtime minute Testcontainers Cloud runtime minute Minute A monthly base allocation per plan. Extra minutes cost $3 per 100 if pre-purchased or $4 per 100 on demand.[5] 
Image pull Image pull Pull A version check plus any images downloaded as a result of a pull request against Docker Hub.[3] 

Counting / floors

Large-organization threshold (effective 2026-08-26). Docker Desktop may be used without a paid subscription only (i) for a non-commercial open source project and/or (ii) in a commercial undertaking with fewer than 250 employees and less than US $10,000,000 (or equivalent local currency) in annual revenue.[1] Both conditions must hold. Docker’s documentation states the reverse case: commercial use in organizations with more than 250 employees or more than $10 million in revenue requires a paid subscription.[2][7] The DSSA does not say how employees are counted (for example, whether affiliates or contractors are included) or which revenue period applies. Catalog proof: Docker Desktop free use limited to fewer than 250 employees and less than US $10M revenue (backs Docker Desktop free use limited to fewer than 250 employees and less than US $10M revenue).

Government Entities (effective 2026-08-26). Government Entities may not use Docker Desktop, or any other Entitlements of the Services, without a paid subscription. The definition covers entities owned, controlled or mainly funded by a government, and whether an entity qualifies is at Docker’s sole discretion.[1] U.S. government entities are covered by the Public Sector Subscription Service Agreement and cannot use no-fee Services.[1] Catalog proof: Government Entities require a paid Docker subscription (backs Government Entities require a paid Docker subscription).

Personal Service Subscriptions (effective 2026-08-26). Personal subscriptions are for individual, non-institutional use. Developer Use is limited to one developer working in a personal, non-commercial capacity, and excludes any use connected to employment or engagement by a company, university, research institution or government, whether paid or unpaid. Educational Use excludes coordinated, institution-scale use through several personal accounts. Docker may audit usage patterns and require a move to a paid plan.[1] Catalog proof: Personal Service Subscriptions limited to Developer Use and Educational Use (backs Personal Service Subscriptions limited to Developer Use and Educational Use).

Every authorized user is paid for (as published 2026-09-26). Every user authorized to access paid products or features needs a paid subscription. The customer pays for the total number of authorized users and may change which people hold them, provided the total matches the paid count.[3] Under the DSSA, the number of Users on a non-individual subscription may not exceed the Entitlements on the Order Form.[1] Catalog proof: Pay for every user authorized to a paid plan (backs Pay for every user authorized to a paid plan); Users may not exceed Entitlements (backs Users may not exceed Entitlements).

Seats (as published 2026-09-26). Team and Business owners add or remove seats under Billing. To remove seats, they must first remove members from the organization.[5] Catalog proof: Seats added or removed per organization; removed seats require removing members (backs Seats added or removed per organization; removed seats require removing members).

Plan floors and caps (effective 2024-12-10). The Docker Team minimum is 1 user, down from 5. Team covers up to 100 users and Business has no user cap. Personal and Pro cover one user each.[3][4] Team and Business customers with 25 or more users can buy annual plans on invoice through sales.[3] Catalog proof: Docker Team minimum 1 user, maximum 100 users; Business no user cap (backs Docker Team minimum 1 user, maximum 100 users; Business no user cap).

Docker Engine versus Docker Desktop (as published 2026-09-26). Docker Engine is licensed under the Apache License 2.0. Commercial use of Docker Engine obtained via Docker Desktop in larger enterprises requires a paid subscription.[7] Docker says the licensing and distribution terms of Docker Engine and other Moby open source projects are not changing.[2] The subscription therefore attaches to Docker Desktop, not to Engine installed on its own. Catalog proof: Docker Engine is Apache 2.0; Engine obtained via Docker Desktop follows Desktop terms (backs Docker Engine is Apache 2.0; Engine obtained via Docker Desktop follows Desktop terms).

Docker Hub pull limits (as published 2026-09-26). Pro, Team and Business users have unlimited pulls. Authenticated Personal users get 200 pulls per 6 hours. Unauthenticated users get 100 pulls per 6 hours per IPv4 address or IPv6 /64 subnet.[8] On the same date, the Plans FAQs still show hourly figures: 100 pulls per hour per Personal user and 10 per hour per IP address when unauthenticated.[3] The two Docker pages disagree, and the documentation table is the more specific of the two. Catalog proof: Docker Hub pull rate limits by plan (backs Docker Hub pull rate limits by plan).

Consumption allowances. Included build minutes do not roll over. Extra minutes are pre-purchased in blocks of 500 to 20,000 and expire at the end of the subscription term, and Build Cloud has no on-demand option.[3] Testcontainers Cloud base minutes reset monthly. Extra minutes can be pre-purchased or used on demand.[5]

Audit and transfer (effective 2026-08-26). The customer must keep complete and accurate records of use. Docker may inspect them on at least ten days’ notice and invoice any past or ongoing underpaid amounts from excess use.[1] The licence is non-transferable and non-sublicensable. Assigning the agreement needs the other party’s prior written consent, except that Docker may assign it to an affiliate or in a merger, acquisition or asset sale.[1] Subscriptions renew automatically for 12-month periods unless either party gives 30 days’ notice before the end of the term.[1] Audit practice in general is covered in software license audit and license compliance. Catalog proof: Records and audit on 10 days’ notice; excess use invoiced (backs Records and audit on 10 days’ notice; excess use invoiced); Docker license non-transferable; assignment needs consent (backs Docker license non-transferable; assignment needs consent).

Virtualization & partitioning

The retrieved Docker documents have no virtualization, partitioning or per-host counting rule for Docker Desktop. Entitlement follows the User, not the machine or VM.[1]

Cloud / BYOL

Docker Services may be bought through a third-party Marketplace, such as Amazon Web Services, or through a Reseller. In that case the customer pays the Marketplace or Reseller price but is still bound by the DSSA. The DSSA governs everything except fees and the Subscription Term.[1] Docker publishes no bring-your-own-license mapping for hyperscaler environments.

Programs

Out of scope

  • Docker Hardened Images, Gordon, AI Governance, Docker Offload and Docker Verified Publisher plans. They are sold as separate products or add-ons.[6][5]
  • The Public Sector Subscription Service Agreement terms (a separate PDF, not retrieved).[1]
  • Moby / Docker Engine source licensing beyond the Apache 2.0 statement, and third-party images on Docker Hub (Third-Party Products).[7][1]
  • How employees and revenue are counted for the 250 / US $10M threshold. Docker does not define this in the retrieved documents.
  • Docker part numbers. The pricing page shows plan names and prices but no SKU codes.

Catalog rows

Catalog rows for this article, grouped by table.

References

  1. Docker Subscription Service AgreementLast updated on August 26, 2026. Definitions (User, Entitlements, Government Entity); License Grant; Personal Service Subscriptions; Specific License Limitations for Standalone use of Docker Desktop; Users; Records and Audit; Subscription Term and Renewal; Assignment.Effective 2026-08-26. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  2. Docker Desktop license agreement (Docker Docs)Docs summary of the free-use categories and paid-subscription cases.Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  3. Docker Plans FAQsNew pricing effective 2024-12-10 for new customers. Authorized-user payment rule; Team minimum 1 user; invoice purchase at 25+ users; build minutes; image pull definition; DSOS.Effective 2024-12-10. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  4. Docker PricingList prices per user per month and included usage by plan.Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  5. Docker plans (Docker Docs)Billing cycle; organization seats; Build Cloud and Testcontainers Cloud minutes; cancellation.Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  6. Subscription and billing (Docker Docs)Plan catalog; top-up units (Seats, Licenses, Minutes).Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  7. Docker Engine (Docker Docs)Licensing section (Apache License 2.0; Engine obtained via Docker Desktop).Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  8. Docker Hub usage and limitsPull rate limit per 6 hours and repository limits by user type; fair use.Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  9. Docker-Sponsored Open Source Program (Docker Docs)Program perks and eligibility.Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  10. Docker Sponsored Open Source Program applicationEligibility requirements and DSOS Terms of Agreement.Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  11. Docker Terms of UseEffective as of August 26, 2026. Order of precedence: the Subscription Service Agreement controls for the products it governs.Effective 2026-08-26. Retrieved 2026-09-26.

See also

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