# cobalt vs Kestra

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

| | cobalt | Kestra |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 ✓ | 82/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 45 in Download Management | #3 of 32 in Workflow Automation |
| GitHub stars | 45 615 ✓ | 30 063 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 805 ✓ | +1 728 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 59 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | v1.3.45 · 27 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Svelte | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

cobalt scores 83/100 against 82/100 for Kestra, so it is the safer default.

Kestra ships more often: 59 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for cobalt.

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

## Details

- [cobalt](https://selfhost.directory/project/cobalt) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/cobalt.md)
- [Kestra](https://selfhost.directory/project/kestra) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/kestra.md)

## Related comparisons

- [Kestra vs prefect](https://selfhost.directory/compare/kestra-vs-prefect)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/cobalt-vs-kestra