# Docker Engine vs Orca

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

| | Docker Engine | Orca |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 80/100 | 91/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #1 of 11 in Container Orchestration | #1 of 209 in AI Agents |
| GitHub stars | 72 218 | 108 555 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +86 | +8 648 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 17 ✓ | 15 |
| Latest release | docker-v29.9.2 · 20 Oct 2026 | v1.4.243 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Go | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Orca scores 91/100 against 80/100 for Docker Engine, so it is the safer default.

Docker Engine ships more often: 17 stable releases in the past year, against 15 for Orca.

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

Orca is growing faster right now (+8 648 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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