head to head · open source
Mermaid vs Deepnote
Mermaid has 90,293 GitHub stars, 9,266 forks, 1,781 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. Deepnote has 3,008 stars, 197 forks, 33 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Mermaid leads on adoption by 2,902% (90,293 vs 3,008 stars). Mermaid is written in TypeScript under MIT; Deepnote is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. Mermaid has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, Deepnote 7%. Deepnote 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
| Mermaid | Deepnote | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 90K | ★ 3.0K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-15 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 9.3K | ⑂ 197 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Mermaid if
- You weight community size — 90K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Deepnote if
- You want the Deepnote feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Deepnote fits your workflow better
About Mermaid
Mermaid is a JavaScript based diagramming tool that renders diagrams from Markdown like text definitions. It lives in the JavaScript/TypeScript ecosystem and operates both in the browser and in Node.js environments. The project’s core purpose is to eliminate the gap between software development and documentation by letting developers write diagrams alongside code, avoiding the rot and overhead of manual diagram maintenance.
read the full Mermaid overview →
About Deepnote
Deepnote is an open source data notebook for Python, SQL, and AI workflows, positioned as a drop in replacement for Jupyter. The project lives in the Jupyter ecosystem, using a Deepnote kernel that is described as backwards compatible while adding an AI agent, new block types, and native data integrations. It is written in TypeScript and licensed under Apache 2.0, with the repository presenting itself as the local foundation for working before scaling to Deepnote Cloud.
read the full Deepnote overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Mermaid or Deepnote more popular?
Mermaid has 90,293 GitHub stars and Deepnote has 3,008. Mermaid has the larger community by that measure.
Are Mermaid and Deepnote free?
Both are open source. Mermaid is licensed under MIT and Deepnote under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Mermaid and Deepnote?
Mermaid is written in TypeScript and Deepnote 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, Mermaid or Deepnote?
Choose Mermaid if you want the larger community (90,293 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Deepnote if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.