# app-distribution-server vs hot-updater

> Two self-hosted [Application Management projects](https://selfhost.directory/application-management), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | app-distribution-server | hot-updater |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 45/100 | 62/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #11 of 20 in Application Management | #1 of 20 in Application Management |
| GitHub stars | 165 | 1 797 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +68 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 47 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | v1.1.4 · 27 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Other |
| Main language | Python | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

hot-updater scores 62/100 against 45/100 for app-distribution-server, so it is the safer default.

hot-updater ships more often: 47 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for app-distribution-server.

If you want the quickest setup, app-distribution-server is easier to run; hot-updater needs more configuration.

hot-updater is growing faster right now (+68 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [app-distribution-server](https://selfhost.directory/project/app-distribution-server) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/app-distribution-server.md)
- [hot-updater](https://selfhost.directory/project/hot-updater) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/hot-updater.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/app-distribution-server-vs-hot-updater