# LXD vs StartOS

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

| | LXD | StartOS |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 70/100 ✓ | 61/100 |
| Rank in category | #3 of 15 in Virtualization | #5 of 22 in Home Server |
| GitHub stars | 4 841 ✓ | 1 994 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +10 ✓ | +9 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 18 | 23 ✓ |
| Latest release | lxd-6.10.0 · 17 Oct 2026 | start-os/v0.4.0.4 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Go | Rust |

## Which one should you pick?

LXD scores 70/100 against 61/100 for StartOS, so it is the safer default.

StartOS ships more often: 23 stable releases in the past year, against 18 for LXD.

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

## Details

- [LXD](https://selfhost.directory/project/lxd) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/lxd.md)
- [StartOS](https://selfhost.directory/project/startos) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/startos.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/lxd-vs-startos