# actions-runner-controller vs trigger

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

| | actions-runner-controller | trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 71/100 | 76/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #6 of 28 in CI/CD | #7 of 32 in Workflow Automation |
| GitHub stars | 6 619 | 16 649 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +101 | +250 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 6 | 49 ✓ |
| Latest release | gha-runner-scale-set-0.15.1 · 23 Oct 2026 | v4.8.1 · 23 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Go | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

trigger scores 76/100 against 71/100 for actions-runner-controller, so it is the safer default.

trigger ships more often: 49 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for actions-runner-controller.

trigger is growing faster right now (+250 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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