A container license management method and an apparatus, where the method includes receiving an image download request including information for requesting a license from a container management background, obtaining an image according to the image download request, obtaining the information for requesting a license in the image download request, generating a license image layer corresponding to the information for requesting a license, adding the license image layer to the obtained image, and sending, to the container management background, the image to which the license image layer is added such that the container management background starts a container corresponding to the image, and detects whether the license image layer is valid. Hence, container license management efficiency can be improved.