// Bitnami alternatives / zookeeper

Bitnami Apache ZooKeeper alternative
Replacing bitnamilegacy/zookeeper

The bitnamilegacy/zookeeper image has had about 6.9 million pulls since Bitnami moved it to the legacy repository, and it receives no updates. Switching to the official zookeeper image means changing environment variables and the data path. Get either wrong and the new container starts empty.

Get a drop-in Apache ZooKeeper image

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Bitnami Apache ZooKeeper variables and their official equivalents

Bitnami Apache ZooKeeper image to official zookeeper:

SettingBitnamiOfficial image
Ensemble membersZOO_SERVERSZOO_SERVERS
Server IDZOO_SERVER_IDZOO_MY_ID
Data path/bitnami/zookeeper/data and /datalog

What breaks when you switch

  • Some variable names match, which hides the ones that do not. Check every ZOO_* variable against the official list.
  • Data is split across /data and /datalog in the official image.
  • Most ZooKeeper deployments exist for Kafka. If Kafka can move to KRaft, the ensemble can be retired rather than replaced.

What happened to the Bitnami Apache ZooKeeper image

For years, bitnami/zookeeper on Docker Hub was one of the most common ways to deploy Apache ZooKeeper on Kubernetes, usually through the Bitnami Apache ZooKeeper Helm chart. On 28 August 2025 Broadcom moved every versioned Bitnami container image, including this one, to the bitnamilegacy repository, and removed the public docker.io/bitnami catalog on 29 September 2025. The free tier now offers only latest tags of a limited set of images for development.

The legacy Docker image still pulls, so existing deployments keep working. It no longer receives updates, which means every vulnerability disclosed since the move stays open in the Apache ZooKeeper binary, in the base image and in every bundled dependency. Container scanners will report a growing count at every audit, and a workload that depends on a frozen public repository is one registry change away from ImagePullBackOff.

How to migrate Apache ZooKeeper off Bitnami safely

  1. Find every reference to bitnami/zookeeper and bitnamilegacy/zookeeper in running workloads, Helm values files and CI pipelines, including init containers.
  2. Record the Apache ZooKeeper version each deployment pins. Versions past upstream end of life are not covered by the free open source images.
  3. Take a backup and test a restore before touching a stateful workload.
  4. Mirror the replacement container images into your own registry, and scan them before you deploy.
  5. Move one replica or one environment at a time, and confirm the data path, file ownership and credentials on the new image.
  6. Remove every remaining legacy reference so nothing falls back to the archive on the next deploy.

Your options

OSSeva drop-in image

A patched image that keeps Bitnami's variables, paths and user, covering ZooKeeper 3.5 to 3.8. Your chart keeps working after a registry change.

Official zookeeper image

Free and maintained for current versions. Apply the mapping above and move the volume.

Bitnami Secure Images

Broadcom's paid catalog keeps the Bitnami layout for supported versions, sold within TrueSource.

Repoint the Bitnami Apache ZooKeeper Helm chart

# values-override.yaml
image:
  registry: registry.example.com   # your mirror of the replacement image
  repository: zookeeper
  tag: "<pinned version>"
global:
  security:
    allowInsecureImages: true      # recent Bitnami charts reject non-Bitnami images without this

This works only with an image that keeps Bitnami's layout. With the official image, rewrite the chart or move to an operator. See replacing bitnamilegacy images for the full inventory and rollout steps.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best alternative to the Bitnami Apache ZooKeeper image?

To keep the Bitnami Apache ZooKeeper Helm chart unchanged, use a Bitnami-compatible image; OSSeva ships patched ones covering ZooKeeper 3.5 to 3.8. To rewrite the deployment, use the official zookeeper image.

Is bitnamilegacy/zookeeper still getting security updates?

No. Bitnami moved versioned images to the bitnamilegacy repository on 28 August 2025 and describes it as receiving no further updates. It had about 6.9 million pulls by September 2026.

Can I keep using the Bitnami Apache ZooKeeper Helm chart?

Yes, with a maintained image that keeps Bitnami's layout. Set image.registry and image.repository in your values file, and set global.security.allowInsecureImages to true, because recent Bitnami charts refuse non-Bitnami images otherwise.

Is Bitnami no longer free?

Not for production. Since 28 August 2025, versioned Bitnami images live in the bitnamilegacy repository with no updates, and the free tier offers latest tags of a limited set of images for development. Maintained, versioned images are sold as Bitnami Secure Images, which Broadcom prices by quote.

Where does the Bitnami Apache ZooKeeper image store data?

Under /bitnami/zookeeper. The official image uses /data and /datalog, so the volume mount must change when you switch images.

Keep your Apache ZooKeeper chart. Change the image.

Send us your image list and versions; we reply with coverage and a migration plan within five working days.

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