head to head · open source
Excalidraw vs Graphite
Excalidraw has 135,053 GitHub stars, 15,973 forks, 3,445 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Graphite has 27,821 stars, 1,311 forks, 562 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Excalidraw leads on adoption by 385% (135,053 vs 27,821 stars). Excalidraw is written in TypeScript under MIT; Graphite is written in Rust under Apache-2.0. Excalidraw has attracted 12% as many forks as stars, Graphite 5%. 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
| Excalidraw | Graphite | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 135K | ★ 28K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 16K | ⑂ 1.3K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Excalidraw if
- You weight community size — 135K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Graphite if
- You want the Graphite feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and Graphite fits your workflow better
About Excalidraw
Excalidraw Editor Blog Documentation Excalidraw+ An open source virtual hand drawn style whiteboard. Collaborative and end to end encrypted. Create beautiful hand drawn like diagrams, wireframes, or whatever you like. Features The Excalidraw editor (npm package) supports: 💯 Free & open source. 🎨 Infinite, canvas based whiteboard. ✍️ Hand drawn like style. 🌓 Dark mode. 🏗️ Customizable. 📷 Image support. 😀 Shape libraries support. 🌐 Localization (i18n) support. 🖼️ Export to PNG, SVG & clipboard. 💾 Open format export drawings as an .excalidraw json file. ⚒️ Wide range of tools rectangle, circle, diamond…
read the full Excalidraw overview →
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 →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Excalidraw or Graphite more popular?
Excalidraw has 135,053 GitHub stars and Graphite has 27,821. Excalidraw has the larger community by that measure.
Are Excalidraw and Graphite free?
Both are open source. Excalidraw is licensed under MIT and Graphite under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Excalidraw and Graphite?
Excalidraw is written in TypeScript and Graphite in Rust. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Excalidraw or Graphite?
Choose Excalidraw if you want the larger community (135,053 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Graphite if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.