# Shields vs Thingsboard

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

| | Shields | Thingsboard |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 80/100 ✓ | 76/100 |
| Rank in category | #6 of 166 in Developer Tools | #1 of 10 in IoT |
| GitHub stars | 27 331 ✓ | 22 620 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +125 | +141 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 24 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | v4.3.1.8 · 27 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Other |
| Main language | JavaScript | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

Shields scores 80/100 against 76/100 for Thingsboard, so it is the safer default.

Thingsboard ships more often: 24 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Shields.

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

## Details

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

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