# Docker Engine vs harness

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

| | Docker Engine | harness |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 80/100 | 80/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 11 in Container Orchestration | #3 of 28 in CI/CD |
| GitHub stars | 72 218 ✓ | 38 744 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +86 | +317 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 17 ✓ | 6 |
| Latest release | docker-v29.9.2 · 20 Oct 2026 ✓ | v2.28.2 · 20 Apr 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Go | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

Docker Engine and harness score the same (80/100), so the choice comes down to the details below.

Docker Engine ships more often: 17 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for harness.

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

harness is growing faster right now (+317 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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