Rancher
Multi-cluster Kubernetes management platform.
- Self-hosting Platforms
- Go
- Apache-2.0
- Docker
- Actively maintained
GitHub stats
- GitHub stars
- 25,957
- Forks
- 3,222
- Open issues
- 3,220
- Commits, last 12 months
- 1,146
- Last commit
- Oct 6, 2026
- Latest release
- v2.15.2Sep 23, 2026
- Created
- Nov 7, 2014
Data from the GitHub API, refreshed daily.
About Rancher
Multi-cluster Kubernetes management platform. Rancher is open source under the Apache-2.0 license and written mainly in Go, so you can read the code, run it on your own hardware and keep full control of your data.
The project has 25,957 stars and 3,222 forks on GitHub, with 1,146 commits over the last year. It ships a Docker image, which makes it a good fit for a small VPS or a home server running Docker Compose.
Topics
- rancher
- docker
- kubernetes
- orchestration
- cattle
- containers
Repository preview
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What is Rancher?
Rancher is a free, open-source app you can host on your own server, listed in our Self-hosting Platforms category. Multi-cluster Kubernetes management platform. The source code lives at github.com/rancher/rancher, where it has 25,957 stars.
Is Rancher free and open source?
Yes. Rancher is open-source software released under the Apache-2.0 license, so you can self-host it at no cost. You only pay for the server it runs on, and some projects also offer an optional paid cloud plan.
Can I run Rancher with Docker?
Yes. Rancher provides a Docker image, so you can run it on any Linux server with Docker and Docker Compose installed. The project README lists the image name and the environment variables to set.
What are the best alternatives to Rancher?
Popular open-source alternatives to Rancher include Coolify, Portainer and Dokploy.
Is Rancher actively maintained?
The most recent commit to Rancher was on Oct 6, 2026 with 1,146 commits in the past twelve months. The latest release is v2.15.2, published Sep 23, 2026. Check the open issues on GitHub to gauge how quickly maintainers respond.