# penpot vs Shields

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

| | penpot | Shields |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 84/100 ✓ | 80/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 30 in Collaboration | #6 of 166 in Developer Tools |
| GitHub stars | 61 819 ✓ | 27 331 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 477 ✓ | +125 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 12 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | 2.18.5 · 26 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Clojure | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

penpot scores 84/100 against 80/100 for Shields, so it is the safer default.

penpot ships more often: 12 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Shields.

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

penpot is growing faster right now (+1 477 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

## Related comparisons

- [OpenDesign vs penpot](https://selfhost.directory/compare/open-design-vs-penpot)

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