π³ Dockerfile Best Practices 2025: Secure, Fast & Modern

Table of contents
- β Why Follow Dockerfile Best Practices?
- π« Outdated Docker Habits (You Should Ditch in 2025)
- π οΈ Top Dockerfile Best Practices in 2025
- π Security Best Practices
- π Development & CI/CD Optimization
- π Full Dockerfile Example (Best Practices)
- β Summary: What to Follow in 2025
- π Dive Deeper: Complete Docker Tutorial Series
- π§ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) β Dockerfile Best Practices 2025
- β Q1. What are the Dockerfile best practices for Ubuntu in 2025?
- β Q2. How to write an efficient Dockerfile for Python in 2025?
- β Q3. Are there any public Dockerfile best practice repositories on GitHub in 2025?
- β Q4. Can you give a minimal and clean Dockerfile example for 2025?
- β Q5. What is Docker Hub and how does it relate to Dockerfiles?
- β Q6. What are Docker Compose best practices in 2025?
- β Q7. How and when should I use ARG in Dockerfile?
- β Q8. Where can I find Dockerfile examples on GitHub in 2025?
- β Q9. Whatβs new in Dockerfile best practices in 2025 vs 2023?
- β Q10. What tools can I use to scan Dockerfiles for vulnerabilities?
- π§ Final Thoughts

Docker in 2025 is no longer just a developer's toolβit's a critical part of production infrastructure. Yet, many developers still write Dockerfiles like itβs 2015. If you want smaller, faster, more secure containers that deploy reliably, this guide is for you.
In this article, you'll learn the top Dockerfile best practices in 2025βeasy enough for beginners, powerful enough for pros.
β Why Follow Dockerfile Best Practices?
Ignoring best practices leads to:
Bloated images
Security vulnerabilities
Unstable deployments
Slow CI/CD pipelines
By following modern practices, you get:
π Faster builds
π Improved security
π¦ Smaller image sizes
π Better performance and reliability
π« Outdated Docker Habits (You Should Ditch in 2025)
1. Running Containers as Root
Why itβs bad: Running as root inside containers is a huge security risk.
Do this instead:
RUN useradd -m appuser
USER appuser
2. Ignoring .dockerignore
Including unnecessary files like .git
, node_modules
, and .env
increases image size and exposes secrets.
Best practice: Always include a .dockerignore
file:
.git
node_modules
.env
Dockerfile
3. Skipping Healthchecks
Without healthchecks, Docker can't detect service failures.
Add this to your Dockerfile or Compose:
healthcheck:
test: ["CMD", "curl", "-f", "http://localhost:3000"]
interval: 30s
timeout: 10s
retries: 3
4. Using version:
in docker-compose.yml
This field is now deprecated in modern Docker Compose.
Just start with:
services:
web:
image: nginx
π οΈ Top Dockerfile Best Practices in 2025
1. Use Multi-Stage Builds (Keep Images Lean)
Multi-stage builds separate build and runtime environments, reducing final image size.
# Stage 1: Build
FROM node:20 AS builder
WORKDIR /app
COPY . .
RUN npm install && npm run build
# Stage 2: Runtime
FROM node:20-slim
WORKDIR /app
COPY --from=builder /app/dist .
CMD ["node", "index.js"]
2. Enable BuildKit and Use Caching
Speed up builds with BuildKit:
DOCKER_BUILDKIT=1 docker build .
Use --mount=type=cache
for dependency caching:
RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.npm \
npm ci
3. Use Minimal Base Images
Avoid bloated base images like ubuntu
. Prefer alpine
, debian-slim
, or language-specific slim images.
FROM python:3.12-slim
4. Pin Image Versions
Always specify exact image versions to avoid unexpected changes:
FROM node:20.4.0
5. Use Read-Only File Systems
Limit writes and prevent tampering:
docker run --read-only myapp
π Security Best Practices
Donβt store secrets in Dockerfilesβuse Docker Secrets or Vault
Scan images with tools like Trivy
Use signed images (Docker Content Trust)
Set resource limits (CPU, memory):
deploy:
resources:
limits:
cpus: "0.5"
memory: 256M
π Development & CI/CD Optimization
Use
docker compose watch
for live reloadsMount volumes instead of rebuilding for every change
Run automated image scans in your CI pipeline
Cache package managers (npm, pip, apt) with BuildKit
π Full Dockerfile Example (Best Practices)
# Stage 1 - Build
FROM node:20 AS builder
WORKDIR /app
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm ci
COPY . .
RUN npm run build
# Stage 2 - Runtime
FROM node:20-slim
RUN useradd -m appuser
USER appuser
WORKDIR /app
COPY --from=builder /app/dist .
CMD ["node", "index.js"]
β Summary: What to Follow in 2025
β Do This | π« Avoid This |
Use multi-stage builds | Root users in containers |
Add healthchecks | Ignoring .dockerignore |
Use BuildKit & caching | Using large base images |
Regularly scan images | Skipping version pinning |
Use secrets managers | Hardcoding secrets in Dockerfiles |
π Dive Deeper: Complete Docker Tutorial Series
Explore Docker like a pro with our step-by-step series covering everything from the basics to advanced containerization techniques.
π Whether you're just starting or want to level up your DevOps skills β this series is for you:
π Diving into Docker: A Comprehensive Series on Containerization Understand the foundations and benefits of Docker in modern development workflows.
π Mastering Docker: Understanding Docker Engine and Docker Images In-depth look at Docker Engine internals and how Docker images work under the hood.
π Unraveling Docker: Key Concepts of Docker Files and Registries Learn the best ways to write Dockerfiles and manage Docker registries effectively.
π Docker Containerization and Compose Get hands-on with
docker-compose
for managing multi-container applications.π Docker Swarm Master built-in orchestration with Docker Swarm for scaling applications.
π Docker Networking: Advantages and Basics
Understand how containers communicate and how to configure secure networks.
π§ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) β Dockerfile Best Practices 2025
β Q1. What are the Dockerfile best practices for Ubuntu in 2025?
A: When using Ubuntu-based images in 2025:
Prefer
ubuntu:22.04
or newer.Avoid installing unnecessary packages to keep images lean.
Use
apt-get clean && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
to remove cache after installations.Use multi-stage builds to separate build-time dependencies from runtime.
β Q2. How to write an efficient Dockerfile for Python in 2025?
A: For Python:
Use slim base images like
python:3.12-slim
.Create a virtual environment inside the container.
Always pin dependencies in
requirements.txt
.Use multi-stage builds for compiling native dependencies.
Avoid copying unnecessary files by using a
.dockerignore
.
FROM python:3.12-slim
WORKDIR /app
COPY requirements.txt .
RUN pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt
COPY . .
CMD ["python", "main.py"]
β Q3. Are there any public Dockerfile best practice repositories on GitHub in 2025?
A: Yes, GitHub has many updated repositories in 2025. Search:
dockerfile best practices 2025 site:github.com
Look for repositories using tags like
docker
,best-practices
, and2025
.
Example: github.com/docker-library/python
β Q4. Can you give a minimal and clean Dockerfile example for 2025?
A:
# Multi-stage production-ready Dockerfile
FROM node:20 AS build
WORKDIR /app
COPY . .
RUN npm ci && npm run build
FROM node:20-slim
WORKDIR /app
COPY --from=build /app/dist ./dist
CMD ["node", "dist/index.js"]
Best practices used: Multi-stage builds, no root user, minimized image size.
β Q5. What is Docker Hub and how does it relate to Dockerfiles?
A: Docker Hub is a public registry where you can:
Pull official and community images.
Push your custom images.
Use Dockerfiles to build images and push them to Docker Hub using:
docker build -t username/appname .
docker push username/appname
β Q6. What are Docker Compose best practices in 2025?
A:
Avoid using the deprecated
version:
field.Define healthchecks for services.
Set resource limits (
mem_limit
,cpus
).Use named volumes and secrets instead of hardcoded files.
Add
user:
directive to avoid running containers as root.
β Q7. How and when should I use ARG in Dockerfile?
A:
Use
ARG
for build-time variables like versions.Combine with
ENV
if the variable is also needed at runtime.Keep sensitive data out of
ARG
as itβs visible in image history.
ARG NODE_VERSION=20
FROM node:${NODE_VERSION}
β Q8. Where can I find Dockerfile examples on GitHub in 2025?
A:
Use the search query:
dockerfile example 2025 site:github.com
Top repositories include:
β Q9. Whatβs new in Dockerfile best practices in 2025 vs 2023?
A:
BuildKit is now default and supports advanced caching.
.dockerignore
is critical for all builds.Running containers as non-root is mandatory for production.
GitHub Actions are frequently used for building and publishing Docker images.
Lightweight images like
distroless
andalpine
are more widely adopted.
β Q10. What tools can I use to scan Dockerfiles for vulnerabilities?
A:
These tools analyze your image and Dockerfile for outdated dependencies, CVEs, and bad practices.
π§ Final Thoughts
Docker is powerful, but only if used properly. In 2025, security, efficiency, and automation are key. By updating your Dockerfile and Compose workflows using these best practices, you'll build faster, deploy safer, and avoid future headaches.
Subscribe to my newsletter
Read articles from ByteScrum Technologies directly inside your inbox. Subscribe to the newsletter, and don't miss out.
Written by

ByteScrum Technologies
ByteScrum Technologies
Our company comprises seasoned professionals, each an expert in their field. Customer satisfaction is our top priority, exceeding clients' needs. We ensure competitive pricing and quality in web and mobile development without compromise.