Diun vs What's Up Docker
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted automation & workflows options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Diun | What's Up Docker |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 88 · Excellent |
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,934 | ★ 3,925 |
| First released | 2019 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Watchtower | Watchtower |
What are Diun and What's Up Docker?
Diun
Diun is a small utility that watches Docker images in registries and sends a notification when a new version becomes available, without applying updates itself. It lets administrators decide when to upgrade.
- Watches registry images
- Many notification channels
- No automatic updates
- Provider-based discovery
What's Up Docker
What's Up Docker is an open-source tool that watches running containers and reports when newer image versions are available. It is self-hosted to automate awareness of container updates with many notification triggers.
- Container update detection
- Many notification triggers
- Web dashboard
- REST API
Diun vs What's Up Docker: key differences
Diun is written in Go, while What's Up Docker is built with TypeScript. Diun is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for What's Up Docker.
Why pick each one
Choose Diun if…
- Stays in control of upgrades
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Notifies but does not update
- Configuration needed per source
Choose What's Up Docker if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.9k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Diun or What's Up Docker better?
Neither is universally better. Diun has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Diun and What's Up Docker free and open-source?
Yes. Diun is licensed under MIT and What's Up Docker under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Diun and What's Up Docker with Docker?
Diun: yes. What's Up Docker: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Diun or What's Up Docker?
Diun has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for What's Up Docker. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.