# tidb vs Zero-K

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

| | tidb | Zero-K |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 80/100 ✓ | 62/100 |
| Rank in category | #4 of 38 in Databases | #2 of 23 in Gaming |
| GitHub stars | 40 685 ✓ | 877 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +98 ✓ | +26 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 2 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | v8.5.8 · 27 Aug 2026 | — |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Main language | Go | Lua |

## Which one should you pick?

tidb scores 80/100 against 62/100 for Zero-K, so it is the safer default.

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

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

tidb is growing faster right now (+98 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [tidb](https://selfhost.directory/project/tidb) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/tidb.md)
- [Zero-K](https://selfhost.directory/project/zero-k) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/zero-k.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/tidb-vs-zero-k