# Sonatype Nexus vs Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP)

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

| | Sonatype Nexus | Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 64/100 | 80/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #2 of 11 in Package Management | #4 of 78 in Security |
| GitHub stars | 2 689 | 16 058 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +34 | +243 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 30 | 31 ✓ |
| Latest release | release-3.97.2-02 · 23 Oct 2026 | w2026-10-23 · 23 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | EPL-1.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Java | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) scores 80/100 against 64/100 for Sonatype Nexus, so it is the safer default.

Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 30 for Sonatype Nexus.

If you want the quickest setup, Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) is easier to run; Sonatype Nexus needs more configuration.

Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) is growing faster right now (+243 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Sonatype Nexus](https://selfhost.directory/project/sonatype-nexus) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/sonatype-nexus.md)
- [Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP)](https://selfhost.directory/project/zed-attack-proxy-zap) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/zed-attack-proxy-zap.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/sonatype-nexus-vs-zed-attack-proxy-zap