actions-runner-controllervsKestra
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| actions-runner-controller | Kestra | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 71/100 | 82/100 |
| Rank in category | #7 of 28 in CI/CD | #3 of 32 in Workflow Automation |
| GitHub stars | 6 613 | 30 053 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +96 | +1 737 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 6 | 59 |
| Latest release | gha-runner-scale-set-0.15.1 · 23 Oct 2026 | v1.3.45 · 27 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Go | Java |
Which one should you pick?
Kestra scores 82/100 against 71/100 for actions-runner-controller, so it is the safer default.
Kestra ships more often: 59 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for actions-runner-controller.
If you want the quickest setup, Kestra is easier to run; actions-runner-controller needs more configuration.
Kestra is growing faster right now (+1 737 stars in 30 days).
actions-runner-controller details →Kestra details →