Bind mounts versus multi-stage images for repeatable Docker development environments

Goal: establish a repeatable development environment where application source changes are visible immediately while keeping dependency versions consistent across developer machines.

Constraint: Docker Compose services can use bind mounts to mirror local source into containers without rebuilding images, but host file ownership and missing host tooling can diverge from the container runtime. A multi-stage Dockerfile produces an immutable image that locks build and runtime dependencies together, yet reflecting code changes typically requires rebuilding the image or copying artifacts, lengthening the inner feedback loop.

Uncertainty: which approach better balances live iteration with environment parity for a team using current Docker Compose and Docker Engine releases?

Questions:

• Does a bind-mounted Compose service preserve dependency parity when local file permissions differ from the container user?
• Can a multi-stage image be updated frequently enough for active development without sacrificing the immutability benefit?
• Should the team standardize on one pattern or use Compose for development and multi-stage images only for promotion to staging and production?