head to head · open source
Docker vs headlamp
Docker has 72,113 GitHub stars, 19,233 forks, 3,902 open issues and last shipped yesterday. headlamp has 7,310 stars, 1,112 forks, 1,422 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. Docker leads on adoption by 886% (72,113 vs 7,310 stars). Docker is written in Go under Apache-2.0; headlamp is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. Docker has attracted 27% as many forks as stars, headlamp 15%. 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 | headlamp | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 72K | ★ 7.3K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Go | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-19 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 19K | ⑂ 1.1K |
| 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 headlamp if
- You want the headlamp feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and headlamp 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 headlamp
Headlamp is an Apache 2.0 licensed, vendor independent Kubernetes web UI written in TypeScript that runs either inside a cluster or locally as a desktop application, and it is built for platform engineers, cluster operators, and developers who need to inspect and change Kubernetes resources through a graphical interface.
read the full headlamp overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Docker or headlamp more popular?
Docker has 72,113 GitHub stars and headlamp has 7,310. Docker has the larger community by that measure.
Are Docker and headlamp free?
Both are open source. Docker is licensed under Apache-2.0 and headlamp under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Docker and headlamp?
Docker is written in Go and headlamp in TypeScript. 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 headlamp?
Choose Docker if you want the larger community (72,113 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose headlamp if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.