Portainer CE vs Startpunkt
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
Startpunkt
Clean startpage that auto-discovers Kubernetes apps
| Feature | Portainer CE | Startpunkt |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Dashboards & Startpages | Dashboards & Startpages |
| License | Zlib | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, helm | docker, kubernetes, helm |
| GitHub stars | ★ 38,184 | ★ 3 |
| First released | 2016 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Rancher, Docker Desktop | Google homepage |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Portainer CE or Startpunkt better?
Neither is universally better. Portainer CE has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Portainer CE and Startpunkt free and open-source?
Yes. Portainer CE is licensed under Zlib and Startpunkt under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Portainer CE and Startpunkt with Docker?
Portainer CE: yes. Startpunkt: yes.