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Docker Pull Time Calculator

Calculate how long a docker pull will take given image size and network bandwidth.

About Docker Pull Time Calculator

Docker pull time depends on compressed image size, network bandwidth, and layer parallelism. Docker downloads up to 3 layers concurrently by default. Formula: pullTime ≈ compressedSize / (bandwidth/8) / min(parallelLayers, layerCount) + overhead.

Formula

Pull Time

pullTime = compressedSize / (bandwidth / 8) / parallelLayers + overhead

compressedSize
Compressed image size in MB
bandwidth
Network bandwidth in Mbps
parallelLayers
Concurrent layer downloads

Worked example

With the default values below, Docker Pull Time Calculator returns Estimated Pull Time of 8.7. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Compressed Image Sizeaccepts 1–100,000 MB
250 MB
Download Bandwidthaccepts 1–100,000 Mbps
100 Mbps
Parallel Layer Downloadsaccepts 1–10 layers
3 layers
Layer Countaccepts 1–200 layers
12 layers

Results

Estimated Pull Time
8.7 seconds
Pull Time
0.14 minutes
Effective Bandwidth
12.5 MB/s
Raw Download (sequential)
20.0 seconds

Step by step

  1. 1Bandwidth in MB/s= 12.5 MB/s
  2. 2Raw download time= 20.0s
  3. 3With parallel layers + overhead= 8.7s

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my actual pull slower than calculated?

Registry rate limits, TLS handshake overhead, DNS resolution, layer decompression after download, and network congestion all add time beyond raw transfer speed.

How can I speed up pulls?

Use a registry mirror close to your cluster, reduce image size with multi-stage builds and smaller base images, and increase --max-concurrent-downloads if bandwidth allows.

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