Docker Build and Push: docker build/push vs docker buildx

Overview

Docker provides multiple ways to build and push images. The traditional docker build and docker push commands work for basic use cases, while docker buildx offers advanced features like multi-platform builds, improved caching, and better performance.

Traditional Docker Build and Push

Basic Build Command

# Build an image from a Dockerfile
docker build -t myapp:latest .

# Build with specific Dockerfile
docker build -f Dockerfile.prod -t myapp:prod .

# Build with build arguments
docker build --build-arg NODE_VERSION=18 -t myapp:latest .

Basic Push Command

# Push to Docker Hub
docker push myapp:latest

# Push to private registry
docker push registry.company.com/myapp:latest

# Tag and push
docker tag myapp:latest myregistry/myapp:v1.0.0
docker push myregistry/myapp:v1.0.0

Docker Buildx

Docker Buildx is an extended build command that provides additional features and better performance.

Enable Buildx

# Create and use a new builder instance
docker buildx create --name mybuilder --use

# Inspect the builder
docker buildx inspect --bootstrap

Advanced Build Features

Multi-Platform Builds

# Build for multiple architectures
docker buildx build --platform linux/amd64,linux/arm64 -t myapp:latest .

# Build and push multi-platform image
docker buildx build --platform linux/amd64,linux/arm64 -t myapp:latest --push .

Build and Push in One Command

# Build and push directly (no local image stored)
docker buildx build -t myapp:latest --push .

# Build for multiple platforms and push
docker buildx build --platform linux/amd64,linux/arm64 -t myapp:latest --push .

Advanced Caching

# Use cache from registry
docker buildx build --cache-from type=registry,ref=myapp:cache --cache-to type=registry,ref=myapp:cache -t myapp:latest .

# Use local cache
docker buildx build --cache-from type=local,src=/path/to/cache --cache-to type=local,dest=/path/to/cache -t myapp:latest .

Key Differences

Feature	docker build/push	docker buildx
Multi-platform builds	❌	✅
Advanced caching	Limited	✅ Enhanced
Build and push in one command	❌	✅
BuildKit by default	Depends on config	✅ Always
Parallel builds	Limited	✅ Better
Build secrets	Basic	✅ Enhanced
Output formats	Image only	Multiple formats

Practical Examples

Example 1: Simple Web App

# Traditional approach
docker build -t webapp:latest .
docker push webapp:latest

# Buildx approach
docker buildx build -t webapp:latest --push .

Example 2: Multi-Platform Node.js App

# Only possible with buildx
docker buildx build \
  --platform linux/amd64,linux/arm64 \
  -t nodeapp:latest \
  --push .

Example 3: Using Build Cache

# Traditional (limited caching)
docker build -t myapp:latest .

# Buildx with registry cache
docker buildx build \
  --cache-from type=registry,ref=myapp:cache \
  --cache-to type=registry,ref=myapp:cache \
  -t myapp:latest \
  --push .

Best Practices

1. Use buildx for new projects - Better performance and features
2. Enable multi-platform builds - Reach more users with ARM and AMD64 support
3. Leverage cache - Use registry or local cache for faster builds
4. Build and push together - Use --push flag to avoid storing large images locally
5. Use build secrets - Securely pass secrets during build time

# Example with secrets
docker buildx build \
  --secret id=mysecret,src=./secret.txt \
  -t myapp:latest \
  --push .

When to Use Which

• Use docker build/push when:

  • Working with legacy systems
  • Simple single-platform builds
  • BuildKit is not available

• Use docker buildx when:

  • Need multi-platform support
  • Want better caching
  • Building for production
  • Need advanced features like secrets or custom outputs

Conclusion

While traditional docker build and docker push commands work for basic scenarios, docker buildx provides significant advantages for modern containerized applications, especially when targeting multiple platforms or requiring advanced build features.