head to head · open source
diagram-design vs Ghostwriter
diagram-design has 65,070 GitHub stars, 4,300 forks, 42 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Ghostwriter has 1,954 stars, 258 forks, 38 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. diagram-design leads on adoption by 3,230% (65,070 vs 1,954 stars). diagram-design is written in HTML under MIT; Ghostwriter is written in Python under BSD-3-Clause. diagram-design has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, Ghostwriter 13%. Ghostwriter 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
| diagram-design | Ghostwriter | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 65K | ★ 2.0K |
| License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Written in | HTML | Python |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.3K | ⑂ 258 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick diagram-design if
- You weight community size — 65K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches HTML
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Ghostwriter if
- You want the Ghostwriter feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the BSD-3-Clause license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and Ghostwriter fits your workflow better
About diagram-design
Diagram Design Editorial diagrams your designer won't hate. New in 2.0 — the Loop: flywheels with a shared memory hub. The dashed lines are the write backs. New in 2.3: semantic system patterns and optional accessible motion, while static output stays the default. New in 2.5.10: ten more layout grammars — Sankey, fishbone, Wardley map, kanban, user journey, deployment, dependency graph, UML class, story map, and database schema. 39 editorial diagram types for Claude Code, Codex, Factory Droid, Pi, and Agent Skills compatible hosts. Self contained HTML + SVG. No shadows. No Mermaid slop. Semantic patterns…
read the full diagram-design overview →
About Ghostwriter
Ghostwriter Ghostwriter is an open source platform designed to enhance offensive security operations by simplifying report writing, asset tracking, and assessment management. It offers tools for managing clients, creating a reusable findings library, and organizing the infrastructure and domains utilized during assessments. With its powerful reporting engine, Ghostwriter includes comprehensive collaborative writing features and customizable report templates, allowing teams to produce polished deliverables with minimal manual effort. Ghostwriter comes equipped with "enterprise level" features, such as role based…
read the full Ghostwriter overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is diagram-design or Ghostwriter more popular?
diagram-design has 65,070 GitHub stars and Ghostwriter has 1,954. diagram-design has the larger community by that measure.
Are diagram-design and Ghostwriter free?
Both are open source. diagram-design is licensed under MIT and Ghostwriter under BSD-3-Clause. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between diagram-design and Ghostwriter?
diagram-design is written in HTML and Ghostwriter in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, diagram-design or Ghostwriter?
Choose diagram-design if you want the larger community (65,070 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Ghostwriter if its feature set, stack or BSD-3-Clause licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.