BuildKit is an open-source project under the Moby umbrella designed to enhance and replace the existing build features in Docker by separating the logic of building images from the main Moby project, enabling more flexibility and future development. Created by Tõnis Tiigi, BuildKit supports pluggable frontends and backends, allowing it to create not just Docker images but also OCI images and other formats, thus broadening its application in container build processes. It introduces components such as buildctl and buildkitd, which facilitate the construction of images across different operating systems, although the complete process requires a Linux environment due to dependencies on tools like runc. BuildKit also supports various output types, including image, tar, and local filesystem outputs, enhancing its versatility in image building and optimization. The tool's capabilities extend to multi-platform builds, parallel builds, caching, and multi-stage builds, offering an advanced alternative to the traditional Docker build system. Additionally, Earthly is highlighted as a platform that further optimizes BuildKit's processes, providing users with more efficient build automation and capabilities.