head to head · open source
drawnix vs chitchatter
drawnix has 14,738 GitHub stars, 1,267 forks, 31 open issues and last shipped 12 days ago. chitchatter has 2,332 stars, 434 forks, 53 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. drawnix leads on adoption by 532% (14,738 vs 2,332 stars). drawnix is written in TypeScript under MIT; chitchatter is written in TypeScript under GPL-2.0. drawnix has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, chitchatter 19%. chitchatter was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
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 | chitchatter | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 15K | ★ 2.3K |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-08 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.3K | ⑂ 434 |
| 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 chitchatter if
- You want the chitchatter feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and chitchatter 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 chitchatter
Chitchatter is a TypeScript web chat application released under GPL 2.0 that provides secure peer to peer communication without a required central API server. It lives in the decentralized web mesh ecosystem, using React, WebRTC, Trystero, WebTorrent, and TURN relays to connect browsers directly. The project is a free, open source collaboration tool for private conversations, video and audio chats, screen sharing, and file transfer.
read the full chitchatter overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is drawnix or chitchatter more popular?
drawnix has 14,738 GitHub stars and chitchatter has 2,332. drawnix has the larger community by that measure.
Are drawnix and chitchatter free?
Both are open source. drawnix is licensed under MIT and chitchatter under GPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between drawnix and chitchatter?
drawnix is written in TypeScript and chitchatter in TypeScript. 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 chitchatter?
Choose drawnix if you want the larger community (14,738 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose chitchatter if its feature set, stack or GPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.