How does Sigma compare to Harbor for a private container registry?

Sigma is lighter and easier to deploy with strict OCI focus, while Harbor offers more enterprise features like replication, RBAC, and a richer UI. Choose Sigma for simplicity, Harbor for complex, large-scale needs.

How to configure Sigma for production with secure authentication?

Refer to the configuration documentation linked in the README to change the default password and set up secure credentials. It may require manual adjustments since advanced auth integrations are not built-in.

Does Sigma support storing Helm charts?

Yes, Sigma fully supports OCI artifacts including Helm charts, allowing you to push and pull them using standard OCI clients like ORAS or Helm itself.

Can Sigma cache images from Docker Hub?

Yes, Sigma includes registry proxy functionality to cache and manage external images from Docker Hub or other registries, reducing latency and external pulls.

What's the performance impact of Sigma's security scanning?

Security scanning adds some latency during image pushes, but it's integrated to enhance vulnerability detection. The impact varies with image size and can be configured based on needs.

How to set up namespace quotas in Sigma?

Sigma supports namespace quotas to limit storage usage; configure this via the settings documented in the configuration guide to manage resources in multi-tenant setups.

sigma

Apache-2.0Gov1.3.0

An OCI-native artifact manager and image registry that is easy to deploy and maintain, supporting Docker, Helm, and other OCI artifacts.

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What is sigma?

Sigma is an OCI-native artifact manager and image registry that provides a private, standards-compliant solution for storing and managing container images and OCI artifacts. It solves the problem of deploying and maintaining a lightweight yet full-featured registry that works seamlessly with tools like Docker, Helm, and ORAS. By adhering to the OCI Distribution Specification, it ensures broad compatibility and simplifies artifact management in cloud-native environments.

Target Audience

DevOps engineers, platform teams, and developers who need a private, self-hosted registry for container images and OCI artifacts in cloud-native or on-premises environments.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Sigma for its ease of deployment, strict OCI compliance, and comprehensive feature set including security scanning and artifact support, offering a simpler alternative to more complex registries like Harbor.

Overview

OCI-Native artifact manager

Use Cases

Best For

Setting up a private Docker registry for internal development teams

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Managing Helm charts and other OCI artifacts in a centralized registry

Implementing image security scanning and signing in CI/CD pipelines

Deploying a lightweight, self-hosted alternative to Docker Hub or Harbor

Caching external container images via registry proxy functionality

Enforcing namespace quotas and automatic garbage collection in multi-tenant environments

Not Ideal For

Organizations requiring built-in image replication for geo-redundancy and disaster recovery
Teams needing extensive GUI-based management, audit logs, and enterprise integrations like LDAP/OAuth
Large-scale production environments that demand battle-tested stability and a mature plugin ecosystem

Pros & Cons

Pros

OCI Standards Compliance

Fully adheres to OCI Distribution Specification 1.1, ensuring seamless compatibility with Docker, Helm, ORAS, and other standard tools as highlighted in the README.

Broad Artifact Management

Supports OCI artifacts like Helm charts and SBOMs, making it a versatile registry for various cloud-native workflows without needing separate tools.

Integrated Security Features

Includes built-in image security scanning and signing, enhancing security posture directly within the registry, as listed in the features.

Lightweight Deployment

Can be run with a single Docker command, simplifying setup and maintenance compared to more complex registries like Harbor, per the quick start guide.

Cons

Missing Replication Support

Lacks image replication functionality (marked as unsupported in the README), which is critical for high-availability and backup scenarios.

Immature Ecosystem

As a newer project, it has fewer community contributions, plugins, and may have limited documentation compared to established alternatives like Harbor.

Default Security Risks

Ships with a hardcoded default password (Admin@123), requiring manual configuration for secure production use, which adds setup overhead.

Open Source Alternative To

sigma is an open-source alternative to the following products:

H

Harbor

Harbor is an open-source cloud native registry that stores, signs, and scans container images for vulnerabilities, providing role-based access control.

zot

Zotero is a free, open-source reference management software that helps researchers collect, organize, cite, and share research sources and bibliographic data.

D

Distribution

Distribution is a tool for managing and distributing software packages, often referring to Linux distributions or package management systems. In a general software context, it can refer to systems that handle the packaging and delivery of applications.

Docker Hub (private registry)

Docker Hub private registry is a feature of Docker Hub that allows users to store and manage private Docker images securely, accessible only to authorized users.

Frequently Asked Questions

Home

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Kubernetes

Production-Grade Container Scheduling and Management

The Moby Project - a collaborative project for the container ecosystem to assemble container-based systems

The Cloud Native Application Proxy

Git with a cup of tea! Painless self-hosted all-in-one software development service, including Git hosting, code review, team collaboration, package registry and CI/CD