# etcd vs Incus

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

| | etcd | Incus |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 ✓ | 75/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 38 in Databases | #3 of 44 in Container Management |
| GitHub stars | 52 432 ✓ | 6 515 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +125 | +275 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 12 | 16 ✓ |
| Latest release | v3.7.3 · 22 Oct 2026 ✓ | v7.0.2 · 16 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Go | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

etcd scores 83/100 against 75/100 for Incus, so it is the safer default.

Incus ships more often: 16 stable releases in the past year, against 12 for etcd.

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

Incus is growing faster right now (+275 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [etcd](https://selfhost.directory/project/etcd) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/etcd.md)
- [Incus](https://selfhost.directory/project/incus) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/incus.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/etcd-vs-incus