{
  "id": "google-artifact-registry-vs-amazon-ecr",
  "ids": [
    "google-artifact-registry",
    "amazon-ecr"
  ],
  "title": "Google Artifact Registry vs Amazon ECR: container images, artefacts and access control",
  "heading": "Google Artifact Registry vs Amazon ECR",
  "kicker": "Software architecture comparison",
  "deck": "Artifact Registry supports Google Cloud image and package workflows; ECR is the AWS container registry. Check required package formats as well as image access from the target deployment platform before choosing a repository service.",
  "description": "Compare Google Artifact Registry vs Amazon ECR for container images, artefacts and access control.",
  "answerHeading": "Which option fits the requirement?",
  "answer": "Artifact Registry supports Google Cloud image and package workflows; ECR is the AWS container registry. Check required package formats as well as image access from the target deployment platform before choosing a repository service.",
  "checkedAt": "2026-10-25",
  "researchTag": "Deployment, compatibility and cost scope",
  "researchLimit": "Official product material reviewed. Acceptance checks are proposed exercises, not completed product trials, performance measurements or reliability guarantees.",
  "datasetDescription": "Seven technical differences and four proposed acceptance checks for Google Artifact Registry vs Amazon ECR.",
  "type": "workflow-buying",
  "sharedBuyingNeed": "Evaluate alternative approaches to container images, artefacts and access control.",
  "rows": [
    [
      "Cloud provider",
      "Google Cloud",
      "AWS"
    ],
    [
      "Primary storage scope",
      "Container images and supported software packages",
      "Container images and supported OCI artefacts"
    ],
    [
      "Repository context",
      "Artifact Registry repositories",
      "ECR repositories"
    ],
    [
      "Push and pull access",
      "Google Cloud IAM and repository configuration",
      "AWS IAM and repository policies"
    ],
    [
      "Deployment ecosystem",
      "Google Cloud build and deployment tools",
      "AWS container and build services"
    ],
    [
      "Release check",
      "Validate image tags and digests",
      "Validate image tags and digests"
    ],
    [
      "Cost components",
      "Stored artefacts, data transfer and selected supporting capabilities",
      "Stored images, data transfer and configured capabilities"
    ]
  ],
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Publish image",
      "question": "Can the team push an approved test image with its release tag?",
      "left": "With Google Artifact Registry, push an approved test image with its release tag.",
      "right": "With Amazon ECR, push an approved test image with its release tag.",
      "note": "The expected repository and digest are recorded."
    },
    {
      "name": "Deployment pull",
      "question": "Can the team pull the image using the intended deployment identity?",
      "left": "With Google Artifact Registry, pull the image using the intended deployment identity.",
      "right": "With Amazon ECR, pull the image using the intended deployment identity.",
      "note": "The identity can pull only approved repositories."
    },
    {
      "name": "Release traceability",
      "question": "Can the team record the image digest used by a test deployment?",
      "left": "With Google Artifact Registry, record the image digest used by a test deployment.",
      "right": "With Amazon ECR, record the image digest used by a test deployment.",
      "note": "The deployed digest matches the approved build."
    },
    {
      "name": "Retention plan",
      "question": "Can the team review the proposed artefact retention arrangement?",
      "left": "With Google Artifact Registry, review the proposed artefact retention arrangement.",
      "right": "With Amazon ECR, review the proposed artefact retention arrangement.",
      "note": "Required rollback images remain available."
    }
  ],
  "exampleTable": {
    "caption": "Proposed checks using authorised non-production resources. Record the actual account, region, version, configuration and observed outcome.",
    "headers": [
      "Requirement",
      "Proposed exercise",
      "Accept when"
    ],
    "rows": [
      [
        "Publish image",
        "Push an approved test image with its release tag.",
        "The expected repository and digest are recorded."
      ],
      [
        "Deployment pull",
        "Pull the image using the intended deployment identity.",
        "The identity can pull only approved repositories."
      ],
      [
        "Release traceability",
        "Record the image digest used by a test deployment.",
        "The deployed digest matches the approved build."
      ],
      [
        "Retention plan",
        "Review the proposed artefact retention arrangement.",
        "Required rollback images remain available."
      ]
    ]
  },
  "sections": [
    {
      "id": "scope-and-architecture",
      "title": "Scope and architecture",
      "paragraphs": [
        "Artifact Registry supports Google Cloud image and package workflows; ECR is the AWS container registry. Check required package formats as well as image access from the target deployment platform before choosing a repository service.",
        "A registry stores and distributes artefacts; it does not run the application. Check the required image and package formats, authentication method and deployment-system integration separately from container hosting."
      ],
      "links": [
        {
          "url": "https://docs.cloud.google.com/artifact-registry/docs",
          "label": "Google Artifact Registry product information"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://aws.amazon.com/ecr/",
          "label": "Amazon ECR product information"
        }
      ],
      "navLabel": "Architecture"
    },
    {
      "id": "cost-and-migration",
      "title": "Cost and migration planning",
      "paragraphs": [
        "For Google Artifact Registry, include stored artefacts, data transfer and selected supporting capabilities. For Amazon ECR, include stored images, data transfer and configured capabilities. Use the same workload and resilience assumptions, then confirm current vendor terms for the selected configuration.",
        "Publish a test image with the required tags, pull it through the deployment identity and verify the digest. Review retention, replication and scanning requirements separately instead of assuming that every registry setting transfers with an image copy."
      ],
      "navLabel": "Costs & migration"
    }
  ],
  "faqs": [
    {
      "question": "How should we choose between Google Artifact Registry and Amazon ECR?",
      "answer": "Artifact Registry supports Google Cloud image and package workflows; ECR is the AWS container registry. Check required package formats as well as image access from the target deployment platform before choosing a repository service."
    },
    {
      "question": "Which costs belong in the comparison?",
      "answer": "For Google Artifact Registry, include stored artefacts, data transfer and selected supporting capabilities. For Amazon ECR, include stored images, data transfer and configured capabilities. Use the same workload and resilience assumptions, then confirm current vendor terms for the selected configuration."
    },
    {
      "question": "What should we validate before a production move?",
      "answer": "Publish a test image with the required tags, pull it through the deployment identity and verify the digest. Review retention, replication and scanning requirements separately instead of assuming that every registry setting transfers with an image copy."
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "url": "https://docs.cloud.google.com/artifact-registry/docs",
      "facts": "Official product scope, deployment and integration context used for container images, artefacts and access control."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://aws.amazon.com/ecr/",
      "facts": "Official product scope, deployment and integration context used for container images, artefacts and access control."
    }
  ],
  "relatedLinks": [
    {
      "path": "/categories/cloud-devops/",
      "title": "Cloud Devops software"
    },
    {
      "path": "/guides/cloud-cost-checklist/",
      "title": "Cloud workload and cost checklist"
    }
  ]
}