# dockserver vs Portainer

> Two self-hosted [Container Management projects](https://selfhost.directory/container-management), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | dockserver | Portainer |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 45/100 | 77/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #29 of 44 in Container Management | #1 of 44 in Container Management |
| GitHub stars | 154 | 38 736 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +187 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 2 | 21 ✓ |
| Latest release | v1.4.74 · 11 Jan 2026 | 2.45.3 · 21 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Zlib |
| Main language | Shell | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Portainer scores 77/100 against 45/100 for dockserver, so it is the safer default.

Portainer ships more often: 21 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for dockserver.

If you want the quickest setup, Portainer is easier to run; dockserver needs more configuration.

Portainer is growing faster right now (+187 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [dockserver](https://selfhost.directory/project/dockserver) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/dockserver.md)
- [Portainer](https://selfhost.directory/project/portainer) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/portainer.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/dockserver-vs-portainer