Where Should I Store Docker Images for Kubernetes Containers in Production?

You can definitely host your own registry, but honestly, unless your images are super sensitive, you might as well just use GitHub's registry or Docker Hub for convenience.

Generally, you'll want to use a container registry. There are many options like Quay or the ones provided by major cloud platforms. While Artifactory might work, I've mostly heard good things about Harbor—it seems to be a popular choice.

You can start simple with Docker Hub; they offer one free private repository where you can manage your images with tags. If you're using GitHub for CI/CD, their container registry is a good option, but it’s not free for private images. Otherwise, go with whatever your cloud provider offers.

This isn’t a tricky question at all! Just a heads up: GitHub has its own Docker registry called GitHub Packages (or GHCR). So, you really don't have to go for third-party services. If deploying to AWS or GCP and you're worried about K8s accessing GitHub credentials, you can set up a proxy registry that pulls from GHCR.

If you're working in the cloud, it's best to use the native registry, like Amazon's ECR or Google Cloud's Artifact Registry. If you're self-hosting, consider using Nexus or Harbor for storing your images.

If you already have Artifactory, just use it. It's a solid choice for managing your images.