Startpunkt vs Web-Portal
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted dashboards & startpages options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Startpunkt | Web-Portal |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 65 · Good | 55 · Fair |
| Category | Dashboards & Startpages | Dashboards & Startpages |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Java | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, helm | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3 | ★ 260 |
| First released | 2024 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Google homepage | Google homepage |
What are Startpunkt and Web-Portal?
Startpunkt
Startpunkt is a clean, modern startpage that automatically discovers applications running in Kubernetes and Docker through annotations. It presents them as bookmarks in a themeable interface.
- Kubernetes app auto-discovery
- Annotation-based config
- Multiple themes
- Lightweight footprint
Web-Portal
Web-Portal is a simple, configurable startpage and link organizer for homelabs and bookmarks. It provides a clean grid of services and applications that can be themed and grouped.
- Configurable link grid
- Plugin support
- Theme customization
- Lightweight footprint
Startpunkt vs Web-Portal: key differences
Startpunkt is written in Java, while Web-Portal is built with Python. Web-Portal is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Startpunkt. Web-Portal is the more established project (first released 2021), while Startpunkt arrived in 2024. Web-Portal has the considerably larger community, at 260 GitHub stars versus 3.
Why pick each one
Choose Startpunkt if…
- Great cluster integration
- Modern look
Watch out for
- Newer project
- Best suited for Kubernetes
Choose Web-Portal if…
- Simple to configure
- Low resource use
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Basic feature set
Frequently asked questions
Is Startpunkt or Web-Portal better?
Neither is universally better. Web-Portal has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Startpunkt and Web-Portal free and open-source?
Yes. Startpunkt is licensed under MIT and Web-Portal under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Startpunkt and Web-Portal with Docker?
Startpunkt: yes. Web-Portal: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Startpunkt or Web-Portal?
Web-Portal has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Startpunkt. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.