On March 15th, 2023, Docker sent a shocking email to its users who had created “organisations” on Docker Hub, stating that their accounts would be deleted along with all images if they did not upgrade to a paid team plan. This sudden announcement has caused significant anxiety among open source maintainers who rely on Docker Hub to host their images and code. As a result, many developers are left wondering what the future holds for their projects.
The email contained a link to a terse PDF which was missing many important details, adding to the frustration of the affected community. As far as we know, this only affects organisation accounts that are often used by open source communities. There was no change to personal accounts. Free personal accounts have a 6-month retention period.
One of the affected developers, Alex Ellis, who has been a loyal Docker user and influencer, spoke out about the issue, saying: “I was one of the biggest advocates around for Docker…I have written dozens if not hundreds of articles and code samples on Docker as a technology.” This sudden change in policy has left many developers feeling betrayed and disillusioned.
The cost of a paid team plan is $420 per year, which many open source projects simply cannot afford. This leaves many developers in a difficult situation, where they must either pay up or risk losing their images and code. As Ellis points out, “Many open source projects including ones I maintain have published images to the Docker Hub for years.”
Docker’s Open Source program has also come under fire for being “hostile and out of touch,” as it rules out anything other than “spare-time projects or projects that have been wholly donated to an open-source foundation.” This language has since been softened, but the damage has already been done. Ellis points out, “Open Source has a funding problem, and Docker was born in Open Source. We the community were their king makers, and now that they’re turning over significant revenue, they are only too ready to forget their roots.”
The community has reacted strongly to this sudden change in policy, with many developers taking to Twitter and Hacker News to express their frustration. One developer wrote on Twitter, “This is a terrible move by Docker. They’re killing the community that made them what they are.” Another developer added, “This is an absolute betrayal of trust. Open source projects have relied on Docker Hub for years, and now we’re being forced to pay for something that was once free.”
In response to the backlash, Docker’s CTO has commented informally on Twitter that they will shut down accounts that do not pay up and not allow anyone else to take over the name. However, Ellis rightly points out, “I’d like to see that published in writing, as a written commitment.”
This sudden change in policy by Docker has left the open source community feeling betrayed and disillusioned. The cost of a paid team plan is simply too high for many open source projects, which rely on Docker Hub to host their images and code. As Ellis states, “Open Source has a funding problem, and Docker was born in Open Source. We the community were their king makers, and now that they’re turning over significant revenue, they are only too ready to forget their roots.”
