elasticsearchvsZero-K
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| elasticsearch | Zero-K | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 | 62/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 41 in Search Engines | #2 of 23 in Gaming |
| GitHub stars | 78 429 | 877 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +460 | +28 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 32 | 0 |
| Latest release | v9.5.5 · 6 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes | No |
| License | Other | GPL-2.0 |
| Main language | Java | Lua |
Which one should you pick?
elasticsearch scores 83/100 against 62/100 for Zero-K, so it is the safer default.
elasticsearch ships more often: 32 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Zero-K.
If you want the quickest setup, Zero-K is easier to run; elasticsearch needs more configuration.
elasticsearch is growing faster right now (+460 stars in 30 days).
elasticsearch details →Zero-K details →
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