Harbor vs Sonatype Nexus Repository OSS
Self-host pick — both replace Docker Hub (Container image registry).
Both Harbor and Sonatype Nexus Repository OSS self-host as a replacement for Docker Hub (Container image registry). Pick Harbor if you want a Apache-licensed codebase (Apache-2.0); pick Sonatype Nexus Repository OSS for other (EPL-1.0). Both run in roughly the same cost bracket — $10-30/mo vps — storage scales with image volume; back with s3-compatible blob store vs $15/mo vps — jvm, needs at least 2gb ram.
| Harboropen-source | Sonatype Nexus Repository OSSopen-source | |
|---|---|---|
| License | Apache-2.0 | EPL-1.0 |
| Setup time | 30min — `installer.sh` with bundled compose (Harbor + Postgres + Redis + Trivy) | 20min docker run |
| Monthly cost | $10-30/mo VPS — storage scales with image volume; back with S3-compatible blob store. | $15/mo VPS — JVM, needs at least 2GB RAM. |
| GitHub | goharbor/harbor | sonatype/nexus-public |
| Replaces | Docker Hub | Docker Hub |
Good fit for
Harbor
Production registries — Harbor bundles vulnerability scanning (Trivy), image signing (Cosign/Notary), RBAC, project quotas.
Weak at:Multi-service install; smaller projects find Distribution simpler.
Sonatype Nexus Repository OSS
Polyglot teams that already store Maven / npm / NuGet / PyPI artifacts in Nexus and want one tool for all formats.
Weak at:Heavy for a registry-only use case; UI feels enterprise-Java by default.
In a terminal? npx -y github:SolvoHQ/os-alt-cli docker-hub prints Docker Hub's self-host options including both —
how the CLI works →
FAQ
Which is easier to self-host, Harbor or Sonatype Nexus Repository OSS?
Harbor: 30min — `installer.sh` with bundled compose (Harbor + Postgres + Redis + Trivy). Sonatype Nexus Repository OSS: 20min docker run.
What does each cost to run?
Harbor: $10-30/mo VPS — storage scales with image volume; back with S3-compatible blob store.. Sonatype Nexus Repository OSS: $15/mo VPS — JVM, needs at least 2GB RAM.. Both projects are free and open source.
Do Harbor and Sonatype Nexus Repository OSS replace the same SaaS?
Yes — both are open-source alternatives to Docker Hub.