head to head · open source
OpenPencil vs draw.io
OpenPencil has 9,551 GitHub stars, 1,004 forks, 46 open issues and last shipped yesterday. draw.io has 9,138 stars, 1,361 forks, 95 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. OpenPencil leads on adoption by 5% (9,551 vs 9,138 stars). OpenPencil is written in TypeScript under MIT; draw.io is written in JavaScript under Apache-2.0. OpenPencil has attracted 11% as many forks as stars, draw.io 15%. OpenPencil 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
| OpenPencil | draw.io | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 9.6K | ★ 9.1K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-10-30 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.0K | ⑂ 1.4K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick OpenPencil if
- You weight community size — 9.6K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick draw.io if
- You want the draw.io feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and draw.io fits your workflow better
About OpenPencil
OpenPencil Open source design editor. Opens .fig and .pen design files, includes built in AI, and ships as a programmable toolkit with a headless Vue SDK for building custom editors. Status: Active development. Usable today, with some rough edges as features evolve. Try it online → · Download · Documentation · Roadmap · llms.txt Installation macOS (Homebrew): Or download from the releases page, or use the web app — no install needed. What it does Opens .fig and .pen files — read and write native Figma files, open supported Pencil documents from the app or OS file browser, copy & paste nodes between apps AI…
read the full OpenPencil overview →
About draw.io
draw.io About draw.io is a configurable diagramming and whiteboarding application, jointly owned and developed by draw.io Ltd (previously named JGraph) and draw.io AG. We also run a production deployment at License The source code in this repository is licensed under the Apache License 2.0. The icon sets, stencil libraries, and diagram templates are provided under the following terms: The icon sets and stencil libraries included in this software, and any derivatives thereof (including conversions to other formats, traced reproductions, substantially similar visual representations, or AI generated images created…
read the full draw.io overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is OpenPencil or draw.io more popular?
OpenPencil has 9,551 GitHub stars and draw.io has 9,138. OpenPencil has the larger community by that measure.
Are OpenPencil and draw.io free?
Both are open source. OpenPencil is licensed under MIT and draw.io under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between OpenPencil and draw.io?
OpenPencil is written in TypeScript and draw.io in JavaScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, OpenPencil or draw.io?
Choose OpenPencil if you want the larger community (9,551 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose draw.io if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.