Portainer CE vs Starbase 80
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted dashboards & startpages options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Portainer CE
Lightweight management UI for Docker and Kubernetes
VS
Starbase 80
A simple homepage with an iPad-style application grid, for mobile and
| Feature | Portainer CE | Starbase 80 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Dashboards & Startpages | Dashboards & Startpages |
| License | Zlib | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, helm | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 38,184 | ★ 555 |
| First released | 2016 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Rancher, Docker Desktop | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Starbase 80 if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Portainer CE or Starbase 80 better?
Portainer CE is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Starbase 80 if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Portainer CE and Starbase 80 free and open-source?
Yes. Portainer CE is licensed under Zlib and Starbase 80 under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Portainer CE and Starbase 80 with Docker?
Portainer CE: yes. Starbase 80: yes.