# Element vs Umbraco CMS

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

| | Element | Umbraco CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 76/100 ✓ | 71/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 13 in Instant Messaging | #7 of 42 in Content Management |
| GitHub stars | 13 623 ✓ | 5 278 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +119 ✓ | +21 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 18 | 29 ✓ |
| Latest release | v1.12.33 · 27 Oct 2026 | release-18.3.0 · 29 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Typescript | C |

## Which one should you pick?

Element scores 76/100 against 71/100 for Umbraco CMS, so it is the safer default.

Umbraco CMS ships more often: 29 stable releases in the past year, against 18 for Element.

If you want the quickest setup, Element is easier to run; Umbraco CMS needs more configuration.

Element is growing faster right now (+119 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Element](https://selfhost.directory/project/element) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/element.md)
- [Umbraco CMS](https://selfhost.directory/project/umbraco-cms) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/umbraco-cms.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/element-vs-umbraco-cms