head to head · open source
Onlook vs Visual-Code-Space
Onlook has 27,138 GitHub stars, 2,137 forks, 380 open issues and last shipped 19 days ago. Visual-Code-Space has 696 stars, 87 forks, 75 open issues and last shipped 19 days ago. Onlook leads on adoption by 3,799% (27,138 vs 696 stars). Onlook is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0; Visual-Code-Space is written in Kotlin under GPL-3.0. Onlook has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, Visual-Code-Space 13%. Onlook was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (ai, ide), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
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 | Visual-Code-Space | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 27K | ★ 696 |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Kotlin |
| Last push | 2026-10-21 | 2026-10-21 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.1K | ⑂ 87 |
| 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 Visual-Code-Space if
- You want the Visual-Code-Space feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Kotlin
- You evaluated both and Visual-Code-Space 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 Visual-Code-Space
Visual Code Space A Modern Code Editor for Android A glimpse of Visual Code Space in action. 🚀 Elevate Your Mobile Coding Experience Visual Code Space is a cutting edge code editor meticulously crafted for Android devices. It empowers you to code on the go with a seamless and efficient environment. Forget about cumbersome setups; dive straight into coding with our intuitive interface and powerful features. ✨ Key Features ⚡ Blazing Fast File Explorer: Navigate your project directories with speed and ease. 🎨 Multi Language Syntax Highlighting: Enjoy syntax highlighting for a wide array of programming languages…
read the full Visual-Code-Space overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Onlook or Visual-Code-Space more popular?
Onlook has 27,138 GitHub stars and Visual-Code-Space has 696. Onlook has the larger community by that measure.
Are Onlook and Visual-Code-Space free?
Both are open source. Onlook is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Visual-Code-Space under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Onlook and Visual-Code-Space?
Onlook is written in TypeScript and Visual-Code-Space in Kotlin. 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 Visual-Code-Space?
Choose Onlook if you want the larger community (27,138 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Visual-Code-Space if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.