# apisix vs pikvm

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

| | apisix | pikvm |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 78/100 ✓ | 72/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 39 in API Gateway | #3 of 23 in Remote Access |
| GitHub stars | 17 262 ✓ | 10 424 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +97 ✓ | +66 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 5 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | 3.19.0 · 28 Sept 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Lua | — |

## Which one should you pick?

apisix scores 78/100 against 72/100 for pikvm, so it is the safer default.

apisix ships more often: 5 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for pikvm.

If you want the quickest setup, apisix is easier to run; pikvm needs more configuration.

## Details

- [apisix](https://selfhost.directory/project/apisix) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/apisix.md)
- [pikvm](https://selfhost.directory/project/pikvm) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/pikvm.md)

---
Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/apisix-vs-pikvm