# ACE-Step vs Shields

> 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).

## Details

- [ACE-Step](https://selfhost.directory/project/ace-step) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/ace-step.md)
- [Shields](https://selfhost.directory/project/shields) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/shields.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/ace-step-vs-shields