# Arcane vs Docker Engine

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

| | Arcane | Docker Engine |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 76/100 | 80/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #2 of 44 in Container Management | #1 of 11 in Container Orchestration |
| GitHub stars | 8 100 | 72 220 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +531 ✓ | +88 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 31 ✓ | 17 |
| Latest release | v2.17.1 · 25 Oct 2026 ✓ | docker-v29.9.2 · 20 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Go | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

Docker Engine scores 80/100 against 76/100 for Arcane, so it is the safer default.

Arcane ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 17 for Docker Engine.

If you want the quickest setup, Arcane is easier to run; Docker Engine needs more configuration.

Arcane is growing faster right now (+531 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Arcane](https://selfhost.directory/project/arcane) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/arcane.md)
- [Docker Engine](https://selfhost.directory/project/docker-engine) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/docker-engine.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/arcane-vs-docker-engine