# apisix vs unleash

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

| | apisix | unleash |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 78/100 ✓ | 75/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 39 in API Gateway | #1 of 8 in Feature Flags |
| GitHub stars | 17 261 ✓ | 13 912 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +100 ✓ | +90 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 5 | 15 ✓ |
| Latest release | 3.19.0 · 28 Sept 2026 | v8.3.0 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Lua | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

apisix scores 78/100 against 75/100 for unleash, so it is the safer default.

unleash ships more often: 15 stable releases in the past year, against 5 for apisix.

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

## Details

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

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