head to head · open source
OpenPencil vs Plasmic
OpenPencil has 9,551 GitHub stars, 1,004 forks, 46 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Plasmic has 7,140 stars, 740 forks, 44 open issues and last shipped yesterday. OpenPencil leads on adoption by 34% (9,551 vs 7,140 stars). OpenPencil is written in TypeScript under MIT; Plasmic is written in TypeScript under MIT. OpenPencil has attracted 11% as many forks as stars, Plasmic 10%. 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 | Plasmic | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 9.6K | ★ 7.1K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.0K | ⑂ 740 |
| 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 Plasmic if
- You want the Plasmic feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Plasmic 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 Plasmic
Plasmic The open source visual builder for your codebase. Build beautiful apps and websites incredibly fast. Drag and drop your own components, integrate with your codebase. Break through the low code ceiling. Quick links Website [Documentation][docs] [Quickstart][quickstart] [Plasmic Forum][forum] [Slack Community][slack] [docs]: [quickstart]: [forum]: [slack]: See Plasmic in action Vercel marketing page: (live app: Apple.com: Shopify headless storefront: Twitter clone: (live app: Service desk app: (live app: Interview with Lee Robinson, Plasmic as a visual CMS: What is Plasmic? Plasmic is a visual builder for…
read the full Plasmic overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is OpenPencil or Plasmic more popular?
OpenPencil has 9,551 GitHub stars and Plasmic has 7,140. OpenPencil has the larger community by that measure.
Are OpenPencil and Plasmic free?
Both are open source. OpenPencil is licensed under MIT and Plasmic under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between OpenPencil and Plasmic?
OpenPencil is written in TypeScript and Plasmic 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, OpenPencil or Plasmic?
Choose OpenPencil if you want the larger community (9,551 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Plasmic if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.