Docker will discontinue the Free Team subscriptions in a month. Users will be required to switch to a paid subscription, according to an email sent to users.
In the email to users about the free subscription, the container technology provider states that the Free Team subscription will no longer exist. The subscription, which gives developers an “organizational unit” for a particular set of Docker repositories, offers more or less the same functionality, cost and features as a paid Docker Team subscription. Open source projects in particular often use these subscriptions.
Upgrading to paid subscription
According to Docker, the discontinued subscription will be dropped as of April 14 this year. Users who do not want to lose access to paid features, such as private repositories, must upgrade to a paid subscription. These subscriptions cost about $300 per year.
If Free Team users do not upgrade, they risk losing access to their data after this date. For open-source projects, for example, it could mean disrupting build automations. They also lose Docker images. Docker states that after the said data is retained for 30 days to secure it. After that, the data will be deleted.
Possible way out
Nevertheless, Docker indicates that there is still an exception to this measure for the so-called Docker Sponsored Open Source program (DSOS). Within this program, open-source developers receive free Docker Team subscriptions. As long as an application developed within this program is under review, nothing is removed. Also, the respective “organization” gets another 30-day grace period if the application is still rejected.
Whether developers who have been running under this program will actually avoid stopping the free licenses is unclear. The program is said to have many applications and actual acceptance of applications is not easy, experts tell Infoworld.
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