head to head · open source
openapi-generator vs php-crud-api
openapi-generator has 26,752 GitHub stars, 7,678 forks, 5,752 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. php-crud-api has 3,737 stars, 1,028 forks, 85 open issues and last shipped 23 days ago. openapi-generator leads on adoption by 616% (26,752 vs 3,737 stars). openapi-generator is written in Java under Apache-2.0; php-crud-api is written in PHP under MIT. openapi-generator has attracted 29% as many forks as stars, php-crud-api 28%. openapi-generator was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (api-server, openapi), 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
| openapi-generator | php-crud-api | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 27K | ★ 3.7K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Java | PHP |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-08-28 |
| Forks | ⑂ 7.7K | ⑂ 1.0K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick openapi-generator if
- You weight community size — 27K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick php-crud-api if
- You want the php-crud-api feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches PHP
- You evaluated both and php-crud-api fits your workflow better
About openapi-generator
OpenAPI Generator is an Apache 2.0 licensed Java tool that generates API client libraries, server stubs, documentation, and configuration automatically from an OpenAPI Specification, and it is built for development teams that keep a machine readable API description and want generated code to stay in step with it.
read the full openapi-generator overview →
About php-crud-api
php crud api is a single file PHP script that adds a REST API to an existing MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, or SQLite database, and it is aimed at PHP developers and small teams that want working CRUD endpoints without building and maintaining a backend application around their schema.
read the full php-crud-api overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is openapi-generator or php-crud-api more popular?
openapi-generator has 26,752 GitHub stars and php-crud-api has 3,737. openapi-generator has the larger community by that measure.
Are openapi-generator and php-crud-api free?
Both are open source. openapi-generator is licensed under Apache-2.0 and php-crud-api under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between openapi-generator and php-crud-api?
openapi-generator is written in Java and php-crud-api in PHP. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, openapi-generator or php-crud-api?
Choose openapi-generator if you want the larger community (26,752 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose php-crud-api if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.