head to head · open source
NocoBase vs xmake
NocoBase has 24,256 GitHub stars, 2,876 forks, 307 open issues and last shipped yesterday. xmake has 12,220 stars, 954 forks, 255 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. NocoBase leads on adoption by 98% (24,256 vs 12,220 stars). NocoBase is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; xmake is written in Lua under Apache-2.0. NocoBase has attracted 12% as many forks as stars, xmake 8%. NocoBase 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
| NocoBase | xmake | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 24K | ★ 12K |
| License | Custom / other | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Lua |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-16 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.9K | ⑂ 954 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick NocoBase if
- You weight community size — 24K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick xmake if
- You want the xmake feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Lua
- You evaluated both and xmake fits your workflow better
About NocoBase
NocoBase is an open source AI plus no code platform, written in TypeScript, for teams and non developers who need to build and run internal business systems such as admin dashboards, CRM, and ERP tooling.
read the full NocoBase overview →
About xmake
Xmake is a cross platform build utility and package manager, written in Lua and licensed under Apache 2.0, that takes a single xmake.lua project file and turns it into builds for desktop, mobile, BSD, Wasm and other targets — it is aimed at C, C++, Objective C and mixed toolchain developers who want Make/Ninja style building, CMake/Meson style project generation, and Vcpkg/Conan style dependency handling from one tool.
read the full xmake overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is NocoBase or xmake more popular?
NocoBase has 24,256 GitHub stars and xmake has 12,220. NocoBase has the larger community by that measure.
Are NocoBase and xmake free?
Both are open source. NocoBase has no licence declared in this registry, and xmake is licensed under Apache-2.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between NocoBase and xmake?
NocoBase is written in TypeScript and xmake in Lua. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, NocoBase or xmake?
Choose NocoBase if you want the larger community (24,256 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose xmake if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.