# Apache SkyWalking vs Thumbor

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

| | Apache SkyWalking | Thumbor |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 76/100 ✓ | 72/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 9 in Application Performance Monitoring | #2 of 13 in Image Processing |
| GitHub stars | 24 978 ✓ | 10 528 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +4 | +6 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 3 ✓ | 1 |
| Latest release | v11.0.0 · 28 Aug 2026 ✓ | 7.8.0 · 30 May 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Java | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

Apache SkyWalking scores 76/100 against 72/100 for Thumbor, so it is the safer default.

Apache SkyWalking ships more often: 3 stable releases in the past year, against 1 for Thumbor.

If you want the quickest setup, Thumbor is easier to run; Apache SkyWalking needs more configuration.

## Details

- [Apache SkyWalking](https://selfhost.directory/project/skywalking) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/skywalking.md)
- [Thumbor](https://selfhost.directory/project/thumbor) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/thumbor.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/skywalking-vs-thumbor