head to head · open source
Onlook vs Bknd
Onlook has 26,752 GitHub stars, 2,101 forks, 380 open issues and last shipped 24 days ago. Bknd has 3,762 stars, 145 forks, 42 open issues and last shipped 6 months ago. Onlook leads on adoption by 611% (26,752 vs 3,762 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%. Onlook 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 | 2026-08-25 | 2026-04-06 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.1K | ⑂ 145 |
| 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 is an open source, Apache 2.0 visual editor for Next.js and TailwindCSS projects that lets designers and developers edit a running React app in the browser while the underlying code changes in real time.
read the full Onlook overview →
About Bknd
Bknd is a lightweight TypeScript backend platform that provides a visual backend for database management, authentication, media, and workflows. It is positioned as a Firebase and Supabase alternative that can run inside many JavaScript environments, including Next.js, React Router, Astro, Cloudflare, Bun, Node.js, and AWS Lambda.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Onlook or Bknd more popular?
Onlook has 26,752 GitHub stars and Bknd has 3,762. 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 (26,752 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.