head to head · open source
Docker vs task
Docker has 72,238 GitHub stars, 19,309 forks, 3,902 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. task has 16,324 stars, 941 forks, 190 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Docker leads on adoption by 343% (72,238 vs 16,324 stars). Docker is written in Go under Apache-2.0; task is written in Go under MIT. Docker has attracted 27% as many forks as stars, task 6%. Docker was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (go), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
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 | task | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 72K | ★ 16K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Go | Go |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 19K | ⑂ 941 |
| 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 task if
- You want the task feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You evaluated both and task fits your workflow better
About Docker
The Moby Project ================ Moby is an open source project created by Docker to enable and accelerate software containerization. It provides a "Lego set" of toolkit components, the framework for assembling them into custom container based systems, and a place for all container enthusiasts and professionals to experiment and exchange ideas. Components include container build tools, a container registry, orchestration tools, a runtime and more, and these can be used as building blocks in conjunction with other tools and projects. Principles Moby is an open project guided by strong principles, aiming to be…
read the full Docker overview →
About task
Task: The Modern Task Runner A fast, cross platform build tool inspired by Make, designed for modern workflows. Installation • Getting Started • Docs • Twitter • Bluesky • Mastodon • Discord Gold Sponsors Community Sponsors Package hosting provided by Cloudsmith . Tooling provided by JetBrains .
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Frequently asked questions
Is Docker or task more popular?
Docker has 72,238 GitHub stars and task has 16,324. Docker has the larger community by that measure.
Are Docker and task free?
Both are open source. Docker is licensed under Apache-2.0 and task under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Docker and task?
Docker is written in Go and task 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 task?
Choose Docker if you want the larger community (72,238 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose task if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.