# Nova Server vs tidb

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

| | Nova Server | tidb |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 46/100 | 80/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #20 of 25 in Proxy | #4 of 38 in Databases |
| GitHub stars | 355 | 40 685 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 | +98 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 9 ✓ | 2 |
| Latest release | v1.92.2 · 24 Oct 2026 ✓ | v8.5.8 · 27 Aug 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | Other | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Shell | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

tidb scores 80/100 against 46/100 for Nova Server, so it is the safer default.

Nova Server ships more often: 9 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for tidb.

If you want the quickest setup, Nova Server is easier to run; tidb needs more configuration.

tidb is growing faster right now (+98 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Nova Server](https://selfhost.directory/project/nova-server) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/nova-server.md)
- [tidb](https://selfhost.directory/project/tidb) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/tidb.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/nova-server-vs-tidb