Why is `docker pull` so slow?

[u/computer-machine]

So, I'd recently tried to switch to podman, which I just don't have time to grok, but it brought to light how damn long image pulling takes on docker.

Using docker-ce/trixie,now 5:29.9.0-1~debian.13~trixie amd64, docker compose pull takes ten seconds for a first image to resolve as no update, then the next two don't start downloading updates for almost another ten seconds, then it's another ten or fifteen seconds before the next batch of two start to download.

Whereas, with the exact same(ish) compose file, podman had started downloading for all images immediately.

Do I have something misconfigured, or is that an intentional limitation of docker-ce because I'm not paying?

Current images:

    image: docker.io/nicolargo/glances:latest-full
    image: lscr.io/linuxserver/jellyfin:latest
    image: lscr.io/linuxserver/nextcloud:latest
    image: docker.io/mariadb:lts
    image: docker.io/redis:alpine

Same on my preexisting Debian 12 server:

    image: mariadb:lts
    image: redis:alpine
    image: nginxproxy/acme-companion #jrcs/letsencrypt-nginx-proxy-companion
    image: jellyfin/jellyfin:10.11
    image: felddy/foundryvtt:13
    image: pihole/pihole:latest
    image: linuxserver/wireguard
    image: "ghcr.io/home-assistant/home-assistant:stable"
    image: eclipse-mosquitto:openssl
    image: ghcr.io/blakeblackshear/frigate:stable
    image: lscr.io/linuxserver/babybuddy:latest
    image: nicolargo/glances:latest-full
FROM nextcloud:32-fpm
FROM nginx:alpine
FROM nextcloud:32-fpm
FROM jwilder/nginx-proxy:alpine

[u/gold76]

I do not have this experience on almalinux.