Docker EnginevsPterodactyl
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Docker Engine | Pterodactyl | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 80/100 | 75/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 11 in Container Orchestration | #4 of 62 in Game Servers |
| GitHub stars | 72 223 | 9 438 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +90 | +183 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 17 | 11 |
| Latest release | docker-v29.9.2 · 20 Oct 2026 | v1.15.2 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Other |
| Main language | Go | PHP |
Which one should you pick?
Docker Engine scores 80/100 against 75/100 for Pterodactyl, so it is the safer default.
Docker Engine ships more often: 17 stable releases in the past year, against 11 for Pterodactyl.
Pterodactyl is growing faster right now (+183 stars in 30 days).
Docker Engine details →Pterodactyl details →
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