# actions-runner-controller vs Stash

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | actions-runner-controller | Stash |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 71/100 | 78/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #7 of 28 in CI/CD | #2 of 142 in Media Management |
| GitHub stars | 6 612 | 13 308 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +95 | +302 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 6 | 7 ✓ |
| Latest release | gha-runner-scale-set-0.15.1 · 23 Oct 2026 ✓ | latest_develop · 24 Jun 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Go | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

Stash scores 78/100 against 71/100 for actions-runner-controller, so it is the safer default.

Stash ships more often: 7 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for actions-runner-controller.

If you want the quickest setup, Stash is easier to run; actions-runner-controller needs more configuration.

Stash is growing faster right now (+302 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [actions-runner-controller](https://selfhost.directory/project/actions-runner-controller) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/actions-runner-controller.md)
- [Stash](https://selfhost.directory/project/stash) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/stash.md)

---
Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/actions-runner-controller-vs-stash