# Docker Engine vs paperclip

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

| | Docker Engine | paperclip |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 80/100 | 88/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #1 of 11 in Container Orchestration | #4 of 125 in AI |
| GitHub stars | 72 220 | 108 237 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +88 | +26 873 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 17 ✓ | 10 |
| Latest release | docker-v29.9.2 · 20 Oct 2026 ✓ | v2026.1012.0 · 12 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Go | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

paperclip scores 88/100 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 10 for paperclip.

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

paperclip is growing faster right now (+26 873 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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