Render Docker Deployments

Render uses BuildKit for Docker builds. All compute service types that support custom runtimes can use runtime: docker (build from a Dockerfile in the repo) or runtime: image (pull a prebuilt image; no Dockerfile build on Render). Deeper patterns and copy-paste templates live under references/.

When to Use

• Authoring or debugging a Dockerfile for a Render service
• Choosing runtime: docker vs runtime: image in a Blueprint
• Wiring private base images or prebuilt images with registry credentials
• Multi-stage builds, build args, secrets, and layer caching
• Performance and security hardening of container images on Render

For full Blueprint authoring, see render-blueprints. For end-to-end deploy flows, see render-deploy.

Render Docker Builds

• BuildKit is used for Docker builds on Render.
• runtime: docker: Render builds an image from your repo using dockerfilePath, dockerContext, and optional dockerCommand (overrides image CMD).
• runtime: image: Render pulls image.url; no repo-based image build. Pair with registryCredential when the registry is private.