# tidb vs Transformer Lab

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

| | tidb | Transformer Lab |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 80/100 ✓ | 61/100 |
| Rank in category | #4 of 38 in Databases | #12 of 25 in LLM Inference |
| GitHub stars | 40 685 ✓ | 5 200 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +104 ✓ | +3 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 2 | 9 ✓ |
| Latest release | v8.5.8 · 27 Aug 2026 ✓ | v0.40.1 · 19 Jun 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Go | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

tidb scores 80/100 against 61/100 for Transformer Lab, so it is the safer default.

Transformer Lab ships more often: 9 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for tidb.

If you want the quickest setup, Transformer Lab is easier to run; tidb needs more configuration.

tidb is growing faster right now (+104 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [tidb](https://selfhost.directory/project/tidb) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/tidb.md)
- [Transformer Lab](https://selfhost.directory/project/transformerlab-app) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/transformerlab-app.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/tidb-vs-transformerlab-app