distr
Distr is an open-source control plane for distributing applications to self-hosted, on-premise, and BYOC customer environments. It provides centralized management, deployment automation, license control, and a container registry—all self-hostable or cloud-hosted.
Key facts
Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | distr-sh/distr |
| Owner | distr-sh |
| Primary language | Go |
| License | Apache-2.0 — OSI-approved |
| Stars | 1.2k |
| Forks | 47 |
| Open issues | 16 |
| Latest release | 2.25.1 (2026-07-07) |
| Last updated | 2026-07-08 |
| Source | https://github.com/distr-sh/distr |
What distr is
Written in Go, Distr orchestrates Docker Compose, Docker Swarm, and Helm-based deployments via prebuilt agents that handle logs, metrics, and remote troubleshooting. It includes a PostgreSQL-backed hub, OCI-compatible registry, object storage integration, and REST API with JavaScript SDK support.
Get the distr source
Clone the repository and explore it locally.
git clone https://github.com/distr-sh/distr.gitcd distr# follow the project's README for install & configurationNeed it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.
Best use cases
Implementation considerations
- PostgreSQL and object storage (S3-compatible) are required infrastructure; plan for HA/backup if production-critical.
- Agent deployment to customer infrastructure requires network connectivity and appropriate firewall/security group rules; air-gapped deployments need artifact pre-positioning.
- License management and white-label portal features must be configured upfront; integration with existing billing/entitlement systems requires custom API work.
- SDK is JavaScript-only; backend integrations via REST API may require custom middleware or glue code.
- Self-hosted deployments require monitoring, patching, and PostgreSQL maintenance; hosted version shifts operational burden to vendor.
When to avoid it — and what to weigh
- Simple SaaS-only deployments — If your customers run fully managed cloud infrastructure, standard CI/CD pipelines may be more practical than a distribution control plane.
- Minimal operational overhead required — Self-hosting Distr requires PostgreSQL, object storage, and container orchestration—unsuitable if you want zero infrastructure management.
- Non-containerized application stack — Distr is tightly coupled to Docker Compose, Swarm, and Helm; legacy VM or bare-metal deployments are not primary targets.
- Enterprise support and SLA guarantees needed immediately — Project is young (created Nov 2024); enterprise support availability and track record are Unknown.
License & commercial use
Licensed under Apache License 2.0, a permissive open-source license allowing commercial use, modification, and distribution with attribution and liability disclaimer.
Apache 2.0 permits commercial use and closed-source derivatives. However, project maturity is early (created Nov 2024, 1196 stars, 16 open issues); no explicit commercial support tiers or SLAs are documented in the repository. A hosted version and enterprise plans are referenced (https://distr.sh/pricing/) but terms are external. Requires review before production commitments.
DEV.co evaluation signals
Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.
| Signal | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Maintenance | Active |
| Documentation | Adequate |
| License clarity | Clear |
| Deployment complexity | High |
| DEV.co fit | Good |
| Assessment confidence | Medium |
Distr handles artifact distribution and customer deployment orchestration; security implications include: (1) Container registry access control granularity—review role-based policies; (2) Agent-to-hub communication encryption and authentication—check TLS enforcement and API key rotation policies; (3) PostgreSQL and object storage hardening responsibility (self-hosted) or vendor responsibility (SaaS); (4) License enforcement and entitlement logic—audit anti-tampering measures; (5) Multi-tenancy isolation if shared registry used. No security audit, CVE history, or threat model provided in repository.
Alternatives to consider
ArgoCD + Sealed Secrets
Kubernetes-native GitOps for declarative deployments; lighter operational footprint but requires Kubernetes on all customer sites.
Spacelift or Env0
IaC-focused platforms supporting Terraform/Helm with multi-tenancy and policy engines; mature SaaS with enterprise support but higher licensing costs.
Pulumi Automation API
Programmatic infrastructure orchestration with custom control planes; requires engineering effort but offers fine-grained deployment logic.
Build on distr with DEV.co software developers
Start with a self-hosted Docker deployment (10 min setup) or review the GitHub repo discussions. For enterprise support questions, visit https://distr.sh/pricing/ or contact the team.
Talk to DEV.coRelated open-source tools
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Related on DEV.co
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distr FAQ
Can I use Distr for non-containerized deployments?
Is the JavaScript SDK the only programmatic interface?
What happens if I self-host and then want to migrate to the Distr SaaS?
Does Distr support air-gapped (offline) deployments?
Software development & web development with DEV.co
DEV.co is a software development agency delivering custom software development services to companies building on open source. Our software developers and web developers design, integrate, and ship production systems — spanning web development, APIs, AI, data, and cloud. If distr is part of your open-source devops roadmap, our team can implement, customize, migrate, and maintain it.
Ready to evaluate Distr for your deployment workflow?
Start with a self-hosted Docker deployment (10 min setup) or review the GitHub repo discussions. For enterprise support questions, visit https://distr.sh/pricing/ or contact the team.