Earthly vs MockServer
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted ci/cd & build options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Earthly
Repeatable, container-based builds for CI
VS
MockServer
Mock and proxy any system you integrate with over HTTP
| Feature | Earthly | MockServer |
|---|---|---|
| Category | CI/CD & Build | CI/CD & Build |
| License | MPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary, docker | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 12,049 | ★ 4,933 |
| First released | 2020 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Make, GitHub Actions | WireMock |
Why pick each one
Choose Earthly if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 12k GitHub stars
- Written in Go
Choose MockServer if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Active community (4.9k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Earthly or MockServer better?
Neither is universally better. Earthly has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Earthly and MockServer free and open-source?
Yes. Earthly is licensed under MPL-2.0 and MockServer under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Earthly and MockServer with Docker?
Earthly: yes. MockServer: yes.