ShipBadge vs Shields.io
How they actually differ.
Shields.io is the standard for open source badges. ShipBadge focuses on a smaller, curated set of badge styles tuned for product READMEs.
ShipBadge
by Developers Digest
Modern README badges with live data
ShipBadge is a modern README badge service with live data sources, fast SVG rendering, and a small set of curated styles. Built for shipping product READMEs and changelogs.
Visit ShipBadge
Shields.io
by Shields.io (open source)
The de facto open source badge service
Shields.io is the long-standing open source badge service, with hundreds of integrations and a huge community catalog. Free, hosted, and battle-tested across millions of repos.
Visit Shields.ioSide by side
| Dimension | | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Product/launch READMEs | Open source projects, every integration |
| Signup required | No for the free tier | No, fully open service |
| Pricing | Free tier, paid for higher limits | Free, donation-supported |
| Customization | Curated modern styles | Highly customizable, many params |
| Hosting | Hosted SaaS | Hosted SaaS + self-host option |
| Integrations | Curated set, growing | Hundreds of services |
Honest verdict
Pick ShipBadge when
you want a small set of nice modern badges for a product README and you care about look and feel.
Pick Shields.io when
you maintain an open source project, you want every possible integration, and you want the community standard with self-host option.
Both tools are good at what they do. This page is not a takedown of Shields.io; it is a positioning guide for developers deciding between the two.
