head to head · open source
Graphite vs Chalk.ist
Graphite has 27,821 GitHub stars, 1,311 forks, 562 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Chalk.ist has 1,845 stars, 148 forks, 22 open issues and last shipped 10 months ago. Graphite leads on adoption by 1,408% (27,821 vs 1,845 stars). Graphite is written in Rust under Apache-2.0; Chalk.ist is written in Vue under MIT. Graphite has attracted 5% as many forks as stars, Chalk.ist 8%. Graphite 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
| Graphite | Chalk.ist | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 28K | ★ 1.8K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Rust | Vue |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-01-07 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.3K | ⑂ 148 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Graphite if
- You weight community size — 28K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Chalk.ist if
- You want the Chalk.ist feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Vue
- You evaluated both and Chalk.ist fits your workflow better
About Graphite
Your procedural toolbox for 2D content creation Graphite is a free, open source vector and raster graphics engine, available now in alpha. Get creative with a fully nondestructive editing workflow that combines layer based compositing with node based generative design. Having begun life as a vector editor, Graphite continues evolving into a generalized, all in one graphics toolbox that's built more like a game engine than a conventional creative app. The editor's tools wrap its node graph core, providing user friendly workflows for vector, raster, and beyond. Photo editing, motion graphics, digital painting…
read the full Graphite overview →
About Chalk.ist
Chalk.ist Create beautiful images of your source code Go to App Development License MIT Kasper Mikiewicz 2022
read the full Chalk.ist overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Graphite or Chalk.ist more popular?
Graphite has 27,821 GitHub stars and Chalk.ist has 1,845. Graphite has the larger community by that measure.
Are Graphite and Chalk.ist free?
Both are open source. Graphite is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Chalk.ist under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Graphite and Chalk.ist?
Graphite is written in Rust and Chalk.ist in Vue. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Graphite or Chalk.ist?
Choose Graphite if you want the larger community (27,821 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Chalk.ist if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.