# elasticsearch vs simon

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

| | elasticsearch | simon |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 ✓ | 46/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 41 in Search Engines | #73 of 104 in Monitoring & observability |
| GitHub stars | 78 428 ✓ | 161 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +459 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 32 ✓ | 9 |
| Latest release | v9.5.5 · 6 Oct 2026 | 0.3.7 · 18 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | MIT |
| Main language | Java | Rust |

## Which one should you pick?

elasticsearch scores 83/100 against 46/100 for simon, so it is the safer default.

elasticsearch ships more often: 32 stable releases in the past year, against 9 for simon.

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

elasticsearch is growing faster right now (+459 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [elasticsearch](https://selfhost.directory/project/elasticsearch) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/elasticsearch.md)
- [simon](https://selfhost.directory/project/simon) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/simon.md)

---
Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/elasticsearch-vs-simon