# Backstage vs Docker Engine

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

| | Backstage | Docker Engine |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 79/100 | 80/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #8 of 166 in Developer Tools | #1 of 11 in Container Orchestration |
| GitHub stars | 34 737 | 72 223 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +55 | +90 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 14 | 17 ✓ |
| Latest release | v1.57.0-next.0 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ | docker-v29.9.2 · 20 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Advanced ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

Docker Engine scores 80/100 against 79/100 for Backstage, so it is the safer default.

Docker Engine ships more often: 17 stable releases in the past year, against 14 for Backstage.

## Details

- [Backstage](https://selfhost.directory/project/backstage) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/backstage.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/backstage-vs-docker-engine