head to head · open source
react vs KeystoneJS
react has 250,602 GitHub stars, 51,379 forks, 1,377 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. KeystoneJS has 9,976 stars, 1,265 forks, 138 open issues and last shipped 6 days ago. react leads on adoption by 2,412% (250,602 vs 9,976 stars). react is written in JavaScript under MIT; KeystoneJS is written in TypeScript under MIT. react has attracted 21% as many forks as stars, KeystoneJS 13%. react was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (react), 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
| react | KeystoneJS | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 251K | ★ 10.0K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-14 |
| Forks | ⑂ 51K | ⑂ 1.3K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick react if
- You weight community size — 251K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick KeystoneJS if
- You want the KeystoneJS feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and KeystoneJS fits your workflow better
About react
React is a JavaScript library under the MIT licence for building user interfaces, using a declarative, component based model that renders both on the web and, through React Native, on mobile.
read the full react overview →
About KeystoneJS
KeystoneJS is an open source Node.js CMS and application framework written in TypeScript and licensed under the MIT License. It lives in the Node.js, GraphQL, and React ecosystem, and its GitHub description calls it a headless CMS for Node.js. The project addresses the need to build a custom back end without writing all of the common content management plumbing by hand.
read the full KeystoneJS overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is react or KeystoneJS more popular?
react has 250,602 GitHub stars and KeystoneJS has 9,976. react has the larger community by that measure.
Are react and KeystoneJS free?
Both are open source. react is licensed under MIT and KeystoneJS under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between react and KeystoneJS?
react is written in JavaScript and KeystoneJS 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, react or KeystoneJS?
Choose react if you want the larger community (250,602 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose KeystoneJS if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.