head to head · open source
Onlook vs Bknd
Onlook has 27,083 GitHub stars, 2,139 forks, 380 open issues and last shipped 13 days ago. Bknd has 3,778 stars, 147 forks, 42 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. Onlook leads on adoption by 617% (27,083 vs 3,778 stars). Onlook is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0; Bknd is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. Onlook has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, Bknd 4%. Bknd 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
| Onlook | Bknd | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 27K | ★ 3.8K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-10-21 | 2026-10-31 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.1K | ⑂ 147 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Onlook if
- You weight community size — 27K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Bknd if
- You want the Bknd 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 Bknd fits your workflow better
About Onlook
Onlook The design tool for AI native designers — now in early access. Onlook makes designing on top of your codebase effortless. Craft exceptional experiences with AI in code. → Join the waitlist 👨💻👩💻👨💻 We're hiring engineers in SF! 👩💻👨💻👩💻 View Demo · Report Bug · Request Feature [![Discord][discord shield]][discord url] [![LinkedIn][linkedin shield]][linkedin url] [![Twitter][twitter shield]][twitter url] 中文 Español Deutsch français Português Русский 日本語 한국어 This is the open source visual editor that started Onlook (Next.js + Tailwind). The hosted product we're building next, for AI native…
read the full Onlook overview →
About Bknd
⭐ Live Demo bknd simplifies app development by providing a fully functional visual backend for database management, authentication, media and workflows. Being lightweight and built on Web Standards, it can be deployed nearly anywhere, including running inside your framework of choice. No more deploying multiple separate services! It's designed to avoid vendor lock in and architectural limitations. Built exclusively on WinterTC Minimum Common Web Platform API for universal compatibility, all functionality (data, auth, media, flows) is modular and opt in, and infrastructure access is adapter based with direct…
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Frequently asked questions
Is Onlook or Bknd more popular?
Onlook has 27,083 GitHub stars and Bknd has 3,778. Onlook has the larger community by that measure.
Are Onlook and Bknd free?
Both are open source. Onlook is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Bknd under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Onlook and Bknd?
Onlook is written in TypeScript and Bknd 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, Onlook or Bknd?
Choose Onlook if you want the larger community (27,083 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Bknd if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.