ACE-StepvsShields
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| ACE-Step | Shields | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 77/100 | 80/100 |
| Rank in category | #13 of 124 in AI | #6 of 166 in Developer Tools |
| GitHub stars | 14 152 | 27 331 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 284 | +125 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 9 | 0 |
| Latest release | v0.1.8 · 18 May 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Python | JavaScript |
Which one should you pick?
Shields scores 80/100 against 77/100 for ACE-Step, so it is the safer default.
ACE-Step ships more often: 9 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Shields.
If you want the quickest setup, Shields is easier to run; ACE-Step needs more configuration.
ACE-Step is growing faster right now (+1 284 stars in 30 days).
ACE-Step details →Shields details →
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