# Docker Engine vs netbird

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

| | Docker Engine | netbird |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 80/100 | 81/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #1 of 11 in Container Orchestration | #2 of 56 in VPN |
| GitHub stars | 72 220 ✓ | 30 296 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +88 | +828 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 17 | 40 ✓ |
| Latest release | docker-v29.9.2 · 20 Oct 2026 | v0.81.5 · 26 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Other |
| Main language | Go | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

netbird scores 81/100 against 80/100 for Docker Engine, so it is the safer default.

netbird ships more often: 40 stable releases in the past year, against 17 for Docker Engine.

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

netbird is growing faster right now (+828 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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