# tidb vs Understudy

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

| | tidb | Understudy |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 80/100 ✓ | 48/100 |
| Rank in category | #4 of 38 in Databases | #110 of 209 in AI Agents |
| GitHub stars | 40 686 ✓ | 465 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +99 ✓ | +0 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 2 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | v8.5.8 · 27 Aug 2026 | — |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Go | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

tidb scores 80/100 against 48/100 for Understudy, so it is the safer default.

tidb ships more often: 2 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Understudy.

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

tidb is growing faster right now (+99 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [tidb](https://selfhost.directory/project/tidb) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/tidb.md)
- [Understudy](https://selfhost.directory/project/understudy) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/understudy.md)

---
Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/tidb-vs-understudy