head to head · open source
drawnix vs chat
drawnix has 14,738 GitHub stars, 1,267 forks, 31 open issues and last shipped 12 days ago. chat has 13,512 stars, 2,079 forks, 41 open issues and last shipped 7 days ago. drawnix leads on adoption by 9% (14,738 vs 13,512 stars). drawnix is written in TypeScript under MIT; chat is written in Go under GPL-3.0. drawnix has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, chat 15%. chat was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (collaboration), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| drawnix | chat | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 15K | ★ 14K |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Go |
| Last push | 2026-09-08 | 2026-09-13 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.3K | ⑂ 2.1K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick drawnix if
- You weight community size — 15K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick chat if
- You want the chat feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You evaluated both and chat fits your workflow better
About drawnix
Drawnix is a free, MIT licensed, all in one open source whiteboard tool written in TypeScript that combines mind mapping, flowcharts, and freehand drawing on a single infinite canvas, built for individuals and teams who want a self hostable or browser based alternative to commercial whiteboard SaaS.
read the full drawnix overview →
About chat
Tinode is an open source, full stack instant messaging server that pairs a Go backend with native iOS, Android, web, and command line clients, built for developers and operators who want to run or federate their own messaging platform rather than rent one.
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Frequently asked questions
Is drawnix or chat more popular?
drawnix has 14,738 GitHub stars and chat has 13,512. drawnix has the larger community by that measure.
Are drawnix and chat free?
Both are open source. drawnix is licensed under MIT and chat under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between drawnix and chat?
drawnix is written in TypeScript and chat in Go. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, drawnix or chat?
Choose drawnix if you want the larger community (14,738 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose chat if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.