Docker EnginevsvLLM
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Docker Engine | vLLM | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 80/100 | 91/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 11 in Container Orchestration | #3 of 25 in LLM Inference |
| GitHub stars | 72 220 | 95 774 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +88 | +3 222 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 17 | 14 |
| Latest release | docker-v29.9.2 · 20 Oct 2026 | v0.32.0 · 17 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Go | Python |
Which one should you pick?
vLLM 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 14 for vLLM.
If you want the quickest setup, vLLM is easier to run; Docker Engine needs more configuration.
vLLM is growing faster right now (+3 222 stars in 30 days).
Docker Engine details →vLLM details →
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