# Argo CD vs Portainer

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

| | Argo CD | Portainer |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 ✓ | 77/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 28 in CI/CD | #1 of 44 in Container Management |
| GitHub stars | 24 497 | 38 737 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +272 ✓ | +188 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 30 ✓ | 21 |
| Latest release | v3.3.18 · 22 Oct 2026 | 2.45.3 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Zlib |
| Main language | Go | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Argo CD scores 81/100 against 77/100 for Portainer, so it is the safer default.

Argo CD ships more often: 30 stable releases in the past year, against 21 for Portainer.

If you want the quickest setup, Portainer is easier to run; Argo CD needs more configuration.

## Details

- [Argo CD](https://selfhost.directory/project/argo-cd) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/argo-cd.md)
- [Portainer](https://selfhost.directory/project/portainer) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/portainer.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/argo-cd-vs-portainer