head to head · open source
draw.io vs Plasmic
draw.io has 9,138 GitHub stars, 1,361 forks, 95 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. Plasmic has 7,140 stars, 740 forks, 44 open issues and last shipped yesterday. draw.io leads on adoption by 28% (9,138 vs 7,140 stars). draw.io is written in JavaScript under Apache-2.0; Plasmic is written in TypeScript under MIT. draw.io has attracted 15% as many forks as stars, Plasmic 10%. Plasmic 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
| draw.io | Plasmic | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 9.1K | ★ 7.1K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-10-30 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.4K | ⑂ 740 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick draw.io if
- You weight community size — 9.1K 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 Plasmic if
- You want the Plasmic feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Plasmic fits your workflow better
About draw.io
draw.io About draw.io is a configurable diagramming and whiteboarding application, jointly owned and developed by draw.io Ltd (previously named JGraph) and draw.io AG. We also run a production deployment at License The source code in this repository is licensed under the Apache License 2.0. The icon sets, stencil libraries, and diagram templates are provided under the following terms: The icon sets and stencil libraries included in this software, and any derivatives thereof (including conversions to other formats, traced reproductions, substantially similar visual representations, or AI generated images created…
read the full draw.io overview →
About Plasmic
Plasmic The open source visual builder for your codebase. Build beautiful apps and websites incredibly fast. Drag and drop your own components, integrate with your codebase. Break through the low code ceiling. Quick links Website [Documentation][docs] [Quickstart][quickstart] [Plasmic Forum][forum] [Slack Community][slack] [docs]: [quickstart]: [forum]: [slack]: See Plasmic in action Vercel marketing page: (live app: Apple.com: Shopify headless storefront: Twitter clone: (live app: Service desk app: (live app: Interview with Lee Robinson, Plasmic as a visual CMS: What is Plasmic? Plasmic is a visual builder for…
read the full Plasmic overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is draw.io or Plasmic more popular?
draw.io has 9,138 GitHub stars and Plasmic has 7,140. draw.io has the larger community by that measure.
Are draw.io and Plasmic free?
Both are open source. draw.io is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Plasmic under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between draw.io and Plasmic?
draw.io is written in JavaScript and Plasmic 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 Plasmic?
Choose draw.io if you want the larger community (9,138 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Plasmic if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.