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Cloud · head to head

Scaleway vs Skopeo

Scaleway logo

Scaleway

Cloud

European cloud for developers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Skopeo logo

Skopeo

Cloud

Inspect, copy and sign container images without pulling them

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Scaleway no free tier or trial period mentioned on homepage; Skopeo single-purpose: it neither builds nor runs images, so it is one tool in a chain rather than a solution
  • They diverge on capability: Scaleway covers Virtual Instances, Skopeo covers Remote inspection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Scaleway and Skopeo actually diverge.

Attributes where Scaleway and Skopeo differ
AttributeScalewaySkopeo
Pricing modelusage-basedOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, Api, CliLinux, macOS
Founded1999Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Scaleway

  • Virtual Instances
  • Bare Metal
  • Kubernetes Kapsule
  • Object Storage
  • Serverless Functions
  • Managed Databases
  • Container Registry
  • Load Balancer

Only in Skopeo

  • Remote inspection
  • Registry-to-registry copy
  • Format conversion
  • Image signing

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Scaleway

  • Web hostingnot Skopeo
  • Container orchestrationnot Skopeo
  • Development environmentsnot Skopeo
  • Data storagenot Skopeo

Skopeo

  • Promoting images between staging and production registries without a round tripnot Scaleway
  • Inspecting an image’s contents before deciding to deploy itnot Scaleway
  • Mirroring images into an air-gapped or internal registrynot Scaleway

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Scaleway

  • No free tier or trial period mentioned on homepage
  • Specific pricing requires navigating to individual product category pages
  • Base pricing starts at 4.99 EUR per month but varies significantly by service type

Skopeo

  • Single-purpose: it neither builds nor runs images, so it is one tool in a chain rather than a solution
  • Command syntax with transport prefixes such as docker:// is unusual and trips people up initially
  • Documentation is sparse compared with the rest of the container ecosystem

Pricing, plan by plan

Scaleway

Free
  • DEV1-S$7.99/month
    • 2 vCPU
    • 2GB RAM
    • 20GB SSD

Skopeo

Free
  • SkopeoFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

Choose Scaleway if

  • You need virtual instances.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cli.
  • You also want bare metal.
Scaleway review

Choose Skopeo if

  • You need remote inspection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS.
  • You also want registry-to-registry copy.
Skopeo review

Questions people ask

Is Scaleway or Skopeo better?
Neither clearly leads. Scaleway starts at Free and Skopeo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Scaleway or Skopeo?
Scaleway starts at Free and Skopeo at Free.
Does Scaleway or Skopeo run on more platforms?
Scaleway runs on Web, Api, Cli. Skopeo runs on Linux, macOS.
Can I use Scaleway for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Scaleway best used for?
Scaleway is most often used for web hosting, container orchestration, development environments, data storage. Of those, web hosting and container orchestration are not what Skopeo is typically brought in for.
What can Scaleway do that Skopeo cannot?
Scaleway covers Virtual Instances, Bare Metal, Kubernetes Kapsule, Object Storage. Skopeo covers Remote inspection, Registry-to-registry copy, Format conversion, Image signing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Scaleway: Does Scaleway have a free tier?

Scaleway does not mention a free tier or trial period on its pricing or homepage. Users must select specific services to see rates.

Source
Skopeo: Is Skopeo free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Scaleway: What is Scaleway's pricing model?

Scaleway uses transparent, usage-based pricing that varies by service. Different categories (bare metal, compute, AI, storage, network) have separate pricing. Dedibox servers start at 4.99 EUR per month.

Source
Skopeo: Why copy images without pulling them?

A registry-to-registry copy avoids downloading and re-uploading gigabytes, which is faster and much cheaper on bandwidth in CI.

Scaleway: How does Scaleway billing work?

Scaleway emphasizes transparent, predictable billing where customers know exactly what they'll pay. Users must select products and view pricing within each category.

Source
Skopeo: Can Skopeo run containers?

No. It only inspects, copies, signs and deletes images. Running them is Podman’s or Docker’s job.

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