head to head · open source
layui vs OpenPencil
layui has 30,584 GitHub stars, 7,345 forks, 43 open issues and last shipped yesterday. OpenPencil has 9,551 stars, 1,004 forks, 46 open issues and last shipped yesterday. layui leads on adoption by 220% (30,584 vs 9,551 stars). layui is written in JavaScript under MIT; OpenPencil is written in TypeScript under MIT. layui has attracted 24% as many forks as stars, OpenPencil 11%. OpenPencil 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
| layui | OpenPencil | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 31K | ★ 9.6K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 7.3K | ⑂ 1.0K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick layui if
- You weight community size — 31K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick OpenPencil if
- You want the OpenPencil feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and OpenPencil fits your workflow better
About layui
Layui 中文 · English 原生态 Web UI 组件库 Layui 是一套开源免费的 Web UI 组件库，采用纯原生态的 HTML CSS JavaScript 开发模式，它为更便捷地构建现代 Web 界面而生。多年来，凭借别具一格的内外风格而被广泛应用。它给非前端开发者极大地降低了构建复杂网页界面的门槛，开发者只需面向浏览器，即可让页面所需呈现的元素与交互，变得信手拈来。 使用文档 Layui 3 （正在开发中） Layui 2 项目参与 项目参与者 破旧立新 🌱 2016年10月14日，Layui 发布了 1.0.0 首版，此后多年被广泛应用于众多 Web 平台。 2021年10月13日，Layui 发布了原官网下线的公告（ 导读 ），并将文档站点切换到了 Gitee Pages，社区及日常维护亦全面转移到了 Gitee 和 Github 平台，以此呼吁大家拥抱其他更好的主流框架，导致大家误以为 Layui 停更了。事实上，自那以后，Layui 仍然在 Github 和 Gitee 保持活跃，并不存在所谓的停止更新，从当时的 2.6.8 一直连续迭代到如今的最新版本。 2023年4月24日，Layui 发布了 2.8.0 正式版，并上线了新的文档站点，这是一次朴实的回归，更是情怀的延续。 但我们仍然坚持两年前那则公告中的观点，
read the full layui overview →
About OpenPencil
OpenPencil Open source design editor. Opens .fig and .pen design files, includes built in AI, and ships as a programmable toolkit with a headless Vue SDK for building custom editors. Status: Active development. Usable today, with some rough edges as features evolve. Try it online → · Download · Documentation · Roadmap · llms.txt Installation macOS (Homebrew): Or download from the releases page, or use the web app — no install needed. What it does Opens .fig and .pen files — read and write native Figma files, open supported Pencil documents from the app or OS file browser, copy & paste nodes between apps AI…
read the full OpenPencil overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is layui or OpenPencil more popular?
layui has 30,584 GitHub stars and OpenPencil has 9,551. layui has the larger community by that measure.
Are layui and OpenPencil free?
Both are open source. layui is licensed under MIT and OpenPencil under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between layui and OpenPencil?
layui is written in JavaScript and OpenPencil 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, layui or OpenPencil?
Choose layui if you want the larger community (30,584 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose OpenPencil if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.