head to head · open source
Docker vs devspace
Docker has 72,113 GitHub stars, 19,233 forks, 3,902 open issues and last shipped yesterday. devspace has 5,188 stars, 425 forks, 92 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Docker leads on adoption by 1,290% (72,113 vs 5,188 stars). Docker is written in Go under Apache-2.0; devspace is written in Go under Apache-2.0. Docker has attracted 27% as many forks as stars, devspace 8%. Docker 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
| Docker | devspace | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 72K | ★ 5.2K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Go | Go |
| Last push | 2026-09-19 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 19K | ⑂ 425 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Docker if
- You weight community size — 72K 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 devspace if
- You want the devspace feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You evaluated both and devspace fits your workflow better
About Docker
Docker, published here as the Moby Project, is the open source collection of container toolkit components and the framework for assembling them into custom container based systems, built for engineers, integrators and enthusiasts who want to modify, hack and build on container code rather than buy a commercially supported product.
read the full Docker overview →
About devspace
DevSpace is an open source, client only command line tool that lets developers build, test, and debug applications directly inside Kubernetes, and it is aimed at software teams running cloud native microservices who want one standardized deployment and development workflow.
read the full devspace overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Docker or devspace more popular?
Docker has 72,113 GitHub stars and devspace has 5,188. Docker has the larger community by that measure.
Are Docker and devspace free?
Both are open source. Docker is licensed under Apache-2.0 and devspace under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Docker and devspace?
Docker is written in Go and devspace in Go. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Docker or devspace?
Choose Docker if you want the larger community (72,113 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose devspace if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.