head to head · open source
compose vs conductor
compose has 38,573 GitHub stars, 5,899 forks, 111 open issues and last shipped yesterday. conductor has 32,401 stars, 1,051 forks, 253 open issues and last shipped yesterday. compose leads on adoption by 19% (38,573 vs 32,401 stars). compose is written in Go under Apache-2.0; conductor is written in Java under Apache-2.0. compose has attracted 15% as many forks as stars, conductor 3%. conductor was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| compose | conductor | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 39K | ★ 32K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Go | Java |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.9K | ⑂ 1.1K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick compose if
- You weight community size — 39K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick conductor if
- You want the conductor feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You evaluated both and conductor fits your workflow better
About compose
Table of Contents Docker Compose Where to get Docker Compose + Windows and macOS + Linux Quick Start Contributing Legacy Docker Compose Docker Compose is a tool for running multi container applications on Docker defined using the Compose file format. A Compose file is used to define how one or more containers that make up your application are configured. Once you have a Compose file, you can create and start your application with a single command: docker compose up . Note : About Docker Swarm Docker Swarm used to rely on the legacy compose file format but did not adopt the compose specification so is missing…
read the full compose overview →
About conductor
Conductor Durable Execution for Workflows and Agents Build agents that adapt. Run graphs that endure. Conductor is an open source durable execution platform for microservices, AI agents, and adaptive workflow graphs. It turns runtime choices—loops, branching, fan out, tool calls, approvals, retries, and cancellation—into durable, inspectable execution. It originated at Netflix and is actively maintained by Orkes and the community. Get Running in 60 Seconds Prerequisites: Node.js v16+ and Java 21+ must be installed. Open — your server is running with the built in ui next UI. Upgrading from a previous version? The…
read the full conductor overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is compose or conductor more popular?
compose has 38,573 GitHub stars and conductor has 32,401. compose has the larger community by that measure.
Are compose and conductor free?
Both are open source. compose is licensed under Apache-2.0 and conductor under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between compose and conductor?
compose is written in Go and conductor in Java. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, compose or conductor?
Choose compose if you want the larger community (38,573 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose conductor if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.