head to head · open source
IronCalc vs ZenConverter
IronCalc has 4,246 GitHub stars, 217 forks, 256 open issues and last shipped yesterday. ZenConverter has 1,842 stars, 64 forks, 3 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. IronCalc leads on adoption by 131% (4,246 vs 1,842 stars). IronCalc is written in Rust under Apache-2.0; ZenConverter is written in Kotlin under AGPL-3.0. IronCalc has attracted 5% as many forks as stars, ZenConverter 3%. IronCalc 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.
← all 20902 open source comparisons
Side by side
| IronCalc | ZenConverter | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 4.2K | ★ 1.8K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Rust | Kotlin |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-10-31 |
| Forks | ⑂ 217 | ⑂ 64 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick IronCalc if
- You weight community size — 4.2K 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 ZenConverter if
- You want the ZenConverter feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Kotlin
- You evaluated both and ZenConverter fits your workflow better
About IronCalc
IronCalc [![MIT licensed][mit badge]][mit url] [![Apache 2.0 licensed][apache badge]][apache url] [![Build Status][actions badge]][actions url] [![Code coverage][codecov badge]][codecov url] [![docs badge]][docs url] [![Discord chat][discord badge]][discord url] [mit badge]: [mit url]: [apache badge]: [apache url]: [codecov badge]: [codecov url]: [actions badge]: [actions url]: [docs url]: [docs badge]: [discord badge]: [discord url]: IronCalc is a new, modern, work in progress spreadsheet engine and set of tools to work with spreadsheets in diverse settings. This repository contains the main engine and the xlsx…
read the full IronCalc overview →
About ZenConverter
ZenConverter Private, local first file conversion for Android. English 中文 ZenConverter is a local file converter for Android. Pick a file on your phone, convert it on your phone, and keep it off someone else's server. The app is built with native Kotlin and Jetpack Compose. File access goes through Android's Storage Access Framework, and longer jobs run in a foreground service. The app deliberately stays narrow: supported routes are verified on a physical Android device, and their known limits are written down instead of hidden. Note: very large media files still need adequate free storage, memory, and power…
read the full ZenConverter overview →
More in Productivity & Utilities
Related comparisons
More Office Suites projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Office Suites field.
Frequently asked questions
Is IronCalc or ZenConverter more popular?
IronCalc has 4,246 GitHub stars and ZenConverter has 1,842. IronCalc has the larger community by that measure.
Are IronCalc and ZenConverter free?
Both are open source. IronCalc is licensed under Apache-2.0 and ZenConverter under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between IronCalc and ZenConverter?
IronCalc is written in Rust and ZenConverter in Kotlin. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, IronCalc or ZenConverter?
Choose IronCalc if you want the larger community (4,246 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose ZenConverter if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.