# bitcoind vs NATS

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

| | bitcoind | NATS |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 87/100 ✓ | 80/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 9 in Fintech | #2 of 12 in Message Broker |
| GitHub stars | 90 526 ✓ | 20 954 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +286 ✓ | +192 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 9 | 18 ✓ |
| Latest release | v29.5 · 26 Oct 2026 | v2.14.9 · 26 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | C++ | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

bitcoind scores 87/100 against 80/100 for NATS, so it is the safer default.

NATS ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 9 for bitcoind.

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

## Details

- [bitcoind](https://selfhost.directory/project/bitcoind) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/bitcoind.md)
- [NATS](https://selfhost.directory/project/nats) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/nats.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/bitcoind-vs-nats