# InvokeAI vs NATS

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

| | InvokeAI | NATS |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 ✓ | 80/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 11 in Image Generation | #2 of 12 in Message Broker |
| GitHub stars | 28 903 ✓ | 20 954 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +623 ✓ | +192 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 13 | 18 ✓ |
| Latest release | v6.14.2 · 27 Sept 2026 | v2.14.9 · 26 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

InvokeAI scores 82/100 against 80/100 for NATS, so it is the safer default.

NATS ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 13 for InvokeAI.

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

InvokeAI is growing faster right now (+623 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [InvokeAI](https://selfhost.directory/project/invokeai) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/invokeai.md)
- [NATS](https://selfhost.directory/project/nats) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/nats.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/invokeai-vs-nats