# OpenEMR vs Shields

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

| | OpenEMR | Shields |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 72/100 | 80/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #1 of 5 in Healthcare | #6 of 166 in Developer Tools |
| GitHub stars | 5 555 | 27 331 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +87 | +125 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 6 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | v8_5_0 · 27 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | PHP | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

Shields scores 80/100 against 72/100 for OpenEMR, so it is the safer default.

OpenEMR ships more often: 6 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Shields.

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

## Details

- [OpenEMR](https://selfhost.directory/project/openemr) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/openemr.md)
- [Shields](https://selfhost.directory/project/shields) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/shields.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/openemr-vs-shields