Tool profile
Docker Scout: cost, fit and limits
Docker Scout is an image analysis service from Docker, Inc. that builds a software bill of materials for each container image, checks it against a vulnerability database and reports policy results in Docker Hub, the Docker CLI and a web dashboard.
What to know first
Docker Scout comes bundled with every Docker subscription, so the buying decision is really a Docker plan decision. The Personal tier enables Scout on one repository, Pro on two, and Team and Business on unlimited repositories. A developer team already pulling and pushing images through Docker Hub gets analysis without a new contract, while teams on other registries must connect them first.
Docker Scout at a glance
| Maker | Docker, Inc., United States |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Entry price | $9 per user per month, Pro billed annually |
| API access | No |
| Category | Best AI Container Security Software in 2026, rank 3 of 10 |
| Website | docker.com |
Who Docker Scout is best for
Docker Desktop teams
Scout results appear in Docker Desktop and the CLI, so a developer sees a vulnerable base image before pushing, without opening a separate security console or learning another query language.
Small teams on Docker Hub
The Team plan at $15 per user per month on annual billing enables unlimited Scout repositories, which gives a company of up to 100 users image analysis for the price of the subscription.
Buyers who want documented data fields
The Scout docs list the exact image, SBOM and environment metadata collected, which helps a privacy reviewer judge the data flow quickly.
Docker Scout plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | $0 | One user, Docker Desktop, Docker Hub and Docker Scout enabled on one repository. Docker Hub pulls are limited to 100 an hour. |
| Pro | $11 monthly or $9 annual per user | Scout on two repositories with health scores, Testcontainers Cloud at 100 minutes a month and five-business-day support response. |
| Team | $16 monthly or $15 annual per user | Up to 100 users, unlimited Scout repositories, unlimited Scout SDLC integrations, audit logs and role-based access control on Docker Hub. |
| Business | $24 per user per month, annual | No user cap, SSO and SCIM, Image and Registry Access Management, Hardened Docker Desktop and one-business-day support response. |
Checked November 2026.
What Docker Scout does
- SBOM-based analysis
- Scout generates an inventory of the packages in each image and matches it against an advisory database. When a new CVE appears, stored SBOMs are rechecked and matches show up in the dashboard and Docker Desktop.
- Policies and health scores
- Policies evaluate images against rules, and health scores appear from the Pro tier. The docs list remediation recommendations, which suggest a newer base image tag that removes findings.
- Registry, CI and Kubernetes integrations
- The docs describe integrations with registries, CI systems and Kubernetes. Scout SDLC integrations are unavailable on Personal, limited to five on Pro and unlimited on Team and Business.
- Local analysis
- For an image analyzed on a developer machine, only package URLs and layer digests are sent, and they are used to run the analysis without being persisted on the platform.
How Docker Scout handles your data
The Scout data-handling page lists what is collected: image metadata such as digest, exposed ports, environment variable names and values, labels and registry URL, and SBOM fields such as package URLs, versions and license IDs. Environment metadata such as Kubernetes namespace and workload name is sent only through the CLI integration, and provenance data only when attestations exist. Data is stored on AWS and Google Cloud servers in US East. Docker's privacy policy states its AI services do not use prompts or responses to train AI models, and it relies on the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework and standard contractual clauses for transfers.
Where Docker Scout falls short in practice
- US East storage only. The data page names a single storage region, US East, with no EU option described. European teams with strict residency rules should treat environment variable values in image metadata as a risk.
- Repository caps on low tiers. One Scout repository on Personal and two on Pro stop a multi-service project from being covered fully, so a real adoption means the Team plan at a per-user price.
- No runtime detection described. The docs describe image analysis, policies and recommendations, not process or network monitoring of live pods, so Scout complements a runtime tool rather than replacing one.
Works with
Alternatives to Docker Scout
Docker Scout: common questions
Is Docker Scout free?
Scout is included in every Docker plan, including the $0 Personal tier, but Personal enables only one Scout repository and Pro enables two. Team and Business have unlimited repositories. Moving beyond a single project therefore usually means paying at least $15 per user per month on annual Team billing.
What does Docker Scout send to Docker when I scan locally?
For an image analyzed on a developer's machine, Scout sends only package URLs and layer digests. The docs say these are used to run the analysis and are not stored persistently. Images analyzed through the platform store the fuller metadata set listed on the data-handling page.
Where does Docker Scout store my data?
The data-handling documentation says Scout data is stored on AWS and Google Cloud servers in the US East region. It describes no regional choice. Docker's privacy policy adds that transfers from the EEA rely on the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework and standard contractual clauses.
Which Docker plan has single sign-on for Scout users?
SSO and SCIM provisioning are listed only on the Business plan at $24 per user per month on annual billing. Personal, Pro and Team do not list them in the comparison table. Business also adds Image Access Management and 24x5 support availability.
Does Docker Scout use AI to train on my images?
Docker's privacy policy states it does not use prompts or the provider's responses in its AI services to train AI models. That statement covers the AI services described there; the Scout data page itself says nothing about model training, so ask Docker for written confirmation of scope.