head to head · open source
drawnix vs hedgedoc
drawnix has 14,738 GitHub stars, 1,267 forks, 31 open issues and last shipped 12 days ago. hedgedoc has 7,437 stars, 597 forks, 275 open issues and last shipped yesterday. drawnix leads on adoption by 98% (14,738 vs 7,437 stars). drawnix is written in TypeScript under MIT; hedgedoc is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. drawnix has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, hedgedoc 8%. hedgedoc 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 | hedgedoc | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 15K | ★ 7.4K |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-08 | 2026-09-19 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.3K | ⑂ 597 |
| 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 hedgedoc if
- You want the hedgedoc feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and hedgedoc 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 hedgedoc
HedgeDoc is an open source, self hostable collaborative markdown notes application, written in TypeScript and licensed under AGPL 3.0, for teams and individuals who need several people editing the same document in a browser at the same time.
read the full hedgedoc overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is drawnix or hedgedoc more popular?
drawnix has 14,738 GitHub stars and hedgedoc has 7,437. drawnix has the larger community by that measure.
Are drawnix and hedgedoc free?
Both are open source. drawnix is licensed under MIT and hedgedoc under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between drawnix and hedgedoc?
drawnix is written in TypeScript and hedgedoc 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 hedgedoc?
Choose drawnix if you want the larger community (14,738 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose hedgedoc if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.