head to head · open source
etherpad vs drawnix
etherpad has 18,552 GitHub stars, 3,050 forks, 31 open issues and last shipped yesterday. drawnix has 14,721 stars, 1,264 forks, 31 open issues and last shipped 10 days ago. etherpad leads on adoption by 26% (18,552 vs 14,721 stars). etherpad is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0; drawnix is written in TypeScript under MIT. etherpad has attracted 16% as many forks as stars, drawnix 9%. etherpad 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
| etherpad | drawnix | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 19K | ★ 15K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-08 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.0K | ⑂ 1.3K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick etherpad if
- You weight community size — 19K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick drawnix if
- You want the drawnix feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and drawnix fits your workflow better
About etherpad
Etherpad is a real time collaborative document editor, written in TypeScript and released under Apache 2.0, for teams and institutions that need every keystroke attributed to its author, every revision preserved, and all text hosted on infrastructure they control.
read the full etherpad overview →
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 →
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Frequently asked questions
Is etherpad or drawnix more popular?
etherpad has 18,552 GitHub stars and drawnix has 14,721. etherpad has the larger community by that measure.
Are etherpad and drawnix free?
Both are open source. etherpad is licensed under Apache-2.0 and drawnix under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between etherpad and drawnix?
etherpad is written in TypeScript and drawnix 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, etherpad or drawnix?
Choose etherpad if you want the larger community (18,552 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose drawnix if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.