head to head · open source
draw.io vs Grida
draw.io has 8,183 GitHub stars, 1,241 forks, 95 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Grida has 2,642 stars, 147 forks, 125 open issues and last shipped yesterday. draw.io leads on adoption by 210% (8,183 vs 2,642 stars). draw.io is written in JavaScript under Apache-2.0; Grida is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. draw.io has attracted 15% as many forks as stars, Grida 6%. Grida 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.
← all 8884 open source comparisons
Side by side
| draw.io | Grida | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 8.2K | ★ 2.6K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-16 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.2K | ⑂ 147 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick draw.io if
- You weight community size — 8.2K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Grida if
- You want the Grida feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Grida fits your workflow better
About draw.io
draw.io is a configurable, client side JavaScript diagramming and whiteboarding application, jointly owned and developed by draw.io Ltd (previously JGraph) and draw.io AG, intended for anyone who needs to draw diagrams and whiteboards in a browser or on the desktop without a login.
read the full draw.io overview →
About Grida
Grida is an open source canvas editor, SVG editor, and Supabase backed Database/CMS and Forms toolkit written in TypeScript under the Apache 2.0 licence, aimed at designers and developers who want to design and build web apps on one open canvas instead of stitching together a design tool, an SVG editor, and a separate back end.
read the full Grida overview →
More in Miscellaneous
Related comparisons
More Design & Prototyping projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Design & Prototyping field.
Frequently asked questions
Is draw.io or Grida more popular?
draw.io has 8,183 GitHub stars and Grida has 2,642. draw.io has the larger community by that measure.
Are draw.io and Grida free?
Both are open source. draw.io is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Grida under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between draw.io and Grida?
draw.io is written in JavaScript and Grida 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, draw.io or Grida?
Choose draw.io if you want the larger community (8,183 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Grida if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.