# photon-docker vs Valhalla

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

| | photon-docker | Valhalla |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 48/100 | 71/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #5 of 8 in Geospatial | #1 of 7 in Navigation |
| GitHub stars | 319 | 6 381 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +135 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 11 ✓ | 10 |
| Latest release | 2.5.0 · 25 Oct 2026 ✓ | 3.9.1 · 6 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Other |
| Main language | Python | C |

## Which one should you pick?

Valhalla scores 71/100 against 48/100 for photon-docker, so it is the safer default.

photon-docker ships more often: 11 stable releases in the past year, against 10 for Valhalla.

If you want the quickest setup, photon-docker is easier to run; Valhalla needs more configuration.

Valhalla is growing faster right now (+135 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [photon-docker](https://selfhost.directory/project/photon-docker) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/photon-docker.md)
- [Valhalla](https://selfhost.directory/project/valhalla) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/valhalla.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/photon-docker-vs-valhalla