Building Docker images without writing Dockerfiles has become increasingly popular. Two leading solutions in this space are Migetpacks and Paketo Buildpacks. Both promise zero-config container builds, but they take fundamentally different approaches.

This guide compares both tools to help you choose the right one for your projects.

Quick Comparison

Feature	Migetpacks	Paketo Buildpacks
Configuration	Zero config	Zero config
Base images	Official Docker images	Custom Paketo stacks
Build output	Standard Dockerfile	OCI layers
Transparency	Full Dockerfile visible	Abstracted layers
Languages	14	10+
Distroless option	Yes	Limited
Open source	Yes	Yes

What is Paketo Buildpacks?

Paketo Buildpacks is part of the Cloud Native Buildpacks (CNB) project. It uses a layered approach where each buildpack contributes layers to the final image. The build process is managed by a "lifecycle" that orchestrates detection, building, and exporting.

How Paketo works:

# Install pack CLI
brew install buildpacks/tap/pack

# Build your app
pack build my-app --builder paketobuildpacks/builder:base

Paketo uses custom base images called "stacks" (like paketobuildpacks/run:base) rather than official Docker images.

What is Migetpacks?

Migetpacks takes a different approach. It detects your application's language and version, then generates an optimized multi-stage Dockerfile using official Docker images (like node:20-slim or python:3.12).

How Migetpacks works:

# Open a terminal and navigate to your project
cd ~/projects/my-app

# Build your app
docker run --rm \
  -v "$PWD":/workspace/source \
  -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
  -e OUTPUT_IMAGE=my-app:latest \
  miget/migetpacks:latest

The generated Dockerfile is visible and can be customized if needed.

Key Differences

1. Base Images

Paketo uses custom stacks maintained by the Paketo team. These are well-tested but different from the official images you might use elsewhere.

Migetpacks uses the same official Docker images you know: node:20, python:3.12, golang:1.22. This means:

Familiar image layers
Same security updates as official images
Easier debugging with standard tools

2. Build Transparency

Paketo abstracts the build into layers. You get an OCI image but can't easily see or modify the build steps.

Migetpacks generates a readable Dockerfile:

# Auto-generated by migetpacks
FROM node:20-slim AS builder
WORKDIR /app
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm ci --only=production
COPY . .
RUN npm run build

FROM node:20-slim
WORKDIR /app
COPY --from=builder /app .
CMD ["node", "dist/index.js"]

You can inspect, customize, or use this Dockerfile directly.

3. Language Support

Both support popular languages, but with different coverage:

Migetpacks (14 languages):

Paketo supports Java, Node.js, Python, Go, Ruby, .NET, PHP, and others.

4. Security Options

Migetpacks offers optional hardened images:

docker run --rm \
  -v "$PWD":/workspace/source \
  -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
  -e OUTPUT_IMAGE=my-app:latest \
  -e HARDENED=true \
  miget/migetpacks:latest

This produces distroless-style minimal images with reduced attack surface.

Paketo has some hardened stack options but they're more limited.

5. Build Performance

Migetpacks leverages Docker BuildKit for:

Layer caching
Parallel builds
Registry mirrors

Paketo has its own caching mechanism that works well but requires the pack CLI.

When to Use Each

Choose Migetpacks when:

You want to use official Docker base images
You need to see or customize the generated Dockerfile
You're deploying to platforms that expect standard Docker images
You want distroless/hardened image options
You're using newer runtimes like Deno or Bun

Choose Paketo when:

You're heavily invested in the Cloud Native Buildpacks (CNB) ecosystem
You're using platforms with native CNB support (like Heroku)
You prefer the layered buildpack model
You want to use Paketo's custom base stacks

Using Migetpacks with Miget Cloud

Migetpacks is built into Miget Cloud. When you push your code, Miget automatically:

Detects your language and version
Builds an optimized container image
Deploys to your workspace

No configuration needed. Just push and deploy.

# Connect your repo and deploy
git push miget main

TL;DR

Both tools solve the "Dockerfile fatigue" problem with different approaches:

	Migetpacks	Paketo
Base images	Official Docker images	Custom Paketo stacks
Output	Visible Dockerfile	OCI layers
Languages	14	10+

Migetpacks gives you transparency and familiar Docker images. Paketo gives you the CNB ecosystem.

Ready to try zero-config builds? Check out our language guides or deploy on Miget Cloud for free.

Migetpacks vs Paketo: Zero-Config Docker Builds Compared