head to head · open source
Mermaid vs Ghostwriter
Mermaid has 90,293 GitHub stars, 9,266 forks, 1,781 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. Ghostwriter has 1,916 stars, 257 forks, 38 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. Mermaid leads on adoption by 4,613% (90,293 vs 1,916 stars). Mermaid is written in TypeScript under MIT; Ghostwriter is written in Python under BSD-3-Clause. Mermaid has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, Ghostwriter 13%. Mermaid 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 | Ghostwriter | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 90K | ★ 1.9K |
| License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Written in | TypeScript | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-15 | 2026-09-14 |
| Forks | ⑂ 9.3K | ⑂ 257 |
| 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 Ghostwriter if
- You want the Ghostwriter feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the BSD-3-Clause license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and Ghostwriter 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 Ghostwriter
Ghostwriter is open source Python project management and reporting engine for offensive security work. It lives in information security, penetration testing, red team ecosystem. Category: Data & Analytics, Business Intelligence & Reporting. Stack: Python 3.13, Django 5.2. Topics: informationsecurity, penetration testing, red team, reporting.
read the full Ghostwriter overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Mermaid or Ghostwriter more popular?
Mermaid has 90,293 GitHub stars and Ghostwriter has 1,916. Mermaid has the larger community by that measure.
Are Mermaid and Ghostwriter free?
Both are open source. Mermaid is licensed under MIT and Ghostwriter under BSD-3-Clause. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Mermaid and Ghostwriter?
Mermaid is written in TypeScript and Ghostwriter in Python. 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 Ghostwriter?
Choose Mermaid if you want the larger community (90,293 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Ghostwriter if its feature set, stack or BSD-3-Clause licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.