Comparison
dstack vs aqueduct
Verdict
Pick dstack if vendor-agnostic AI workload orchestration tool supports GPU providers like NVIDIA and AMD across cloud, Kubernetes, and bare metal; pick aqueduct if aqueduct is a deprecated Go-based tool for orchestrating LLM and ML workloads across various cloud infrastructures with Kubernetes support.
Markdown twin · dstack alternatives · aqueduct alternatives
GraphCanon updated today
Trust & integrity
| Signal | dstack | aqueduct |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (0d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 | Dormant (1152d since push) As of 2w · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of today · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Organization account As of 2w · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of 1mo · osv@v1 | No lockfile (source not queried) As of 1mo · osv@v1 |
| deps.dev advisories | Not queried deps.dev@v1 | Not queried deps.dev@v1 |
| OpenSSF Scorecard | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 |
Tagline
- dstack
- Vendor-agnostic orchestration for AI workloads
- aqueduct
- Orchestrate LLM and ML workloads on any cloud infrastructure using Go.
Stars
- dstack
- 2.2k
- aqueduct
- 517
Forks
- dstack
- 250
- aqueduct
- 20
Open issues
- dstack
- 66
- aqueduct
- 11
Language
- dstack
- Python
- aqueduct
- Go
Adopt for
- dstack
- Vendor-agnostic AI workload orchestration tool supports GPU providers like NVIDIA and AMD across cloud, Kubernetes, and bare metal.
- aqueduct
- Aqueduct is a deprecated Go-based tool for orchestrating LLM and ML workloads across various cloud infrastructures with Kubernetes support.
Persona
- dstack
- -
- aqueduct
- -
Runtime
- dstack
- -
- aqueduct
- -
License
- dstack
- MPL-2.0
- aqueduct
- Apache-2.0
Last pushed
- dstack
- Aug 23, 2026
- aqueduct
- Jun 7, 2023
Categories
- dstack
- AI Agents, Inference & Serving, Model Training
- aqueduct
- Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks, Model Training
Trust and health
Maintenance
- dstack
- Very active (96%)
- aqueduct
- Dormant (18%)
Days since push
- dstack
- 0d
- aqueduct
- 1152d
Open issues (now)
- dstack
- 66
- aqueduct
- 11
Stars delta
- dstack
- +27 (30d)
- aqueduct
- Unknown
Open issues delta
- dstack
- +5 (30d)
- aqueduct
- Unknown
Full report
- dstack
- Trust report
- aqueduct
- Trust report
Choose dstack if…
- dstack is primarily Python; aqueduct is Go.
- License: dstack is MPL-2.0, aqueduct is Apache-2.0.
- Tags unique to dstack: agent-skills, agentic-orchestration, amd, cloud.
- Also covers AI Agents.
- If your project requires support for multiple hardware vendors such as NVIDIA, AMD, TPU, or Tenstorrent
When NOT to use dstack
- When sticking to single-vendor solutions where tightly integrated proprietary tools are preferred
- If the project strictly avoids open-source components with Mozilla Public License (MPL-2.0)
Choose aqueduct if…
- aqueduct is primarily Go; dstack is Python.
- License: aqueduct is Apache-2.0, dstack is MPL-2.0.
- Tags unique to aqueduct: ai, data, data-science, kubernetes.
- Also covers LLM Frameworks.
- When you need to deploy legacy workflows that depend on Aqueduct's specific implementation of custom ops for resource allocation and training.
When NOT to use aqueduct
- Avoid if active project maintenance or community support is required as Aqueduct is no longer maintained.
- Skip this tool for new projects focusing on state-of-the-art ML orchestration, opting instead for actively supported alternatives.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (dstackai/dstack) · observed Aug 24, 2026
- GitHub forks (dstackai/dstack) · observed Aug 24, 2026
- Last push (dstackai/dstack) · observed Aug 23, 2026
- License file (MPL-2.0) · observed Aug 24, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub stars (RunLLM/aqueduct) · observed Aug 3, 2026
- GitHub forks (RunLLM/aqueduct) · observed Aug 3, 2026
- Last push (RunLLM/aqueduct) · observed Jun 7, 2023
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Aug 3, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 17, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: dstack 2.2k · aqueduct 517 (synced Aug 24, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between dstack and aqueduct?
- dstack: Vendor-agnostic orchestration for AI workloads. aqueduct: Orchestrate LLM and ML workloads on any cloud infrastructure using Go.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose dstack over aqueduct?
- Choose dstack over aqueduct when dstack is primarily Python; aqueduct is Go; License: dstack is MPL-2.0, aqueduct is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to dstack: agent-skills, agentic-orchestration, amd, cloud; Also covers AI Agents; If your project requires support for multiple hardware vendors such as NVIDIA, AMD, TPU, or Tenstorrent.
- When should I choose aqueduct over dstack?
- Choose aqueduct over dstack when aqueduct is primarily Go; dstack is Python; License: aqueduct is Apache-2.0, dstack is MPL-2.0; Tags unique to aqueduct: ai, data, data-science, kubernetes; Also covers LLM Frameworks; When you need to deploy legacy workflows that depend on Aqueduct's specific implementation of custom ops for resource allocation and training.
- When should I avoid dstack?
- When sticking to single-vendor solutions where tightly integrated proprietary tools are preferred If the project strictly avoids open-source components with Mozilla Public License (MPL-2.0)
- When should I avoid aqueduct?
- Avoid if active project maintenance or community support is required as Aqueduct is no longer maintained. Skip this tool for new projects focusing on state-of-the-art ML orchestration, opting instead for actively supported alternatives.
- Is dstack or aqueduct more popular on GitHub?
- dstack has more GitHub stars (2,219 vs 517). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are dstack and aqueduct open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (dstack: MPL-2.0, aqueduct: Apache-2.0).
- Where can I find alternatives to dstack or aqueduct?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at dstack alternatives and aqueduct alternatives (dstack markdown twin, aqueduct markdown twin), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes.
- Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison?
- Yes. The markdown twin at this comparison mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.
- Which is better maintained, dstack or aqueduct?
- dstack: Very active. aqueduct: Dormant. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance.
- Where are the full trust reports for dstack and aqueduct?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: dstack trust report; aqueduct trust report.