Depot Has a Free API: The Docker Build Service That Makes CI 20x Faster

#depot #api #docker #devops

Docker builds in CI are painfully slow. Every push downloads base images, reinstalls dependencies, and rebuilds layers from scratch. Depot fixes this with persistent caching and native multi-platform builds that make Docker builds up to 20x faster.

What Is Depot?

Depot is a remote Docker build service. Instead of building images on ephemeral CI runners with no cache, Depot runs builds on persistent, cache-optimized infrastructure. Your Dockerfiles stay the same — builds just get dramatically faster.

The Free API

Depot offers a solid free tier:

Free plan: 100 build minutes per month
Persistent cache: Layers persist between builds
Multi-platform: Build amd64 and arm64 natively (no QEMU emulation)
CLI + API: Programmatic access to all build features
GitHub Actions integration: Drop-in replacement for docker/build-push-action

Quick Start

Install the CLI:

curl -L https://depot.dev/install-cli.sh | sh

Build your Docker image:

# Initialize a project
depot init

# Build with persistent cache
depot build -t myapp:latest .

# Multi-platform build (native, no emulation)
depot build --platform linux/amd64,linux/arm64 -t myapp:latest .

In GitHub Actions:

- uses: depot/setup-action@v1
- uses: depot/build-push-action@v1
  with:
    project: your-project-id
    push: true
    tags: ghcr.io/org/app:latest
    platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64

Why Developers Choose Depot

An e-commerce platform was spending 45 minutes per CI pipeline on Docker builds. Their multi-stage Dockerfile pulled large base images and compiled native dependencies. After switching to Depot, the same build took 2 minutes. They saved 700 CI minutes per day and their developers stopped context-switching while waiting for builds.

Who Is This For?

DevOps engineers tired of slow Docker builds in CI
Teams building multi-platform images (amd64 + arm64)
Startups burning CI credits on uncached Docker builds
Developers who want docker build speed without managing build infrastructure

Depot vs. Alternatives

Feature	Depot	GitHub Actions	BuildKit
Persistent cache	Yes	No	Local only
Native multi-arch	Yes	QEMU (slow)	QEMU
Setup complexity	1 line	N/A	High
Build speed	20x faster	Baseline	2-3x
Free tier	100 min	2000 min	Free

Speed Up Your Builds

Depot makes Docker builds fast by solving the two biggest bottlenecks: cache eviction and cross-platform emulation. Same Dockerfiles, dramatically faster builds.

Need help optimizing your CI/CD pipeline or Docker builds? I build custom DevOps solutions — reach out to discuss your project.

Found this useful? I publish daily deep-dives into developer tools and APIs. Follow for more.

DEV Community