# StartOS vs Windows ARM

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

| | StartOS | Windows ARM |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 61/100 | 61/100 |
| Rank in category | #5 of 22 in Home Server | #7 of 15 in Virtualization |
| GitHub stars | 1 994 | 2 260 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +9 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 23 ✓ | 10 |
| Latest release | start-os/v0.4.0.4 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ | v6.06 · 5 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Main language | Rust | Batchfile |

## Which one should you pick?

StartOS and Windows ARM score the same (61/100), so the choice comes down to the details below.

StartOS ships more often: 23 stable releases in the past year, against 10 for Windows ARM.

If you want the quickest setup, StartOS is easier to run; Windows ARM needs more configuration.

StartOS is growing faster right now (+9 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [StartOS](https://selfhost.directory/project/startos) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/startos.md)
- [Windows ARM](https://selfhost.directory/project/windows-arm) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/windows-arm.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/startos-vs-windows-arm