head to head · open source
react vs HeyForm
react has 250,566 GitHub stars, 51,372 forks, 1,377 open issues and last shipped yesterday. HeyForm has 8,980 stars, 708 forks, 10 open issues and last shipped 10 days ago. react leads on adoption by 2,690% (250,566 vs 8,980 stars). react is written in JavaScript under MIT; HeyForm is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. react has attracted 21% as many forks as stars, HeyForm 8%. react 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
| react | HeyForm | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 251K | ★ 9.0K |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-09 |
| Forks | ⑂ 51K | ⑂ 708 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick react if
- You weight community size — 251K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick HeyForm if
- You want the HeyForm feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and HeyForm fits your workflow better
About react
React is a JavaScript library under the MIT licence for building user interfaces, using a declarative, component based model that renders both on the web and, through React Native, on mobile.
read the full react overview →
About HeyForm
HeyForm is an open source form builder written in TypeScript and released under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0. It lives in the JavaScript and TypeScript ecosystem, and its repository is organised as a monorepo of packages: a Node server, a React webapp, a form renderer, an embeddable JavaScript library, and shared utilities and type definitions used by both the server and the webapp. The project describes itself as an open source form builder built for small business success, and it is positioned as an open alternative to Typeform.
read the full HeyForm overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is react or HeyForm more popular?
react has 250,566 GitHub stars and HeyForm has 8,980. react has the larger community by that measure.
Are react and HeyForm free?
Both are open source. react is licensed under MIT and HeyForm under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between react and HeyForm?
react is written in JavaScript and HeyForm 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, react or HeyForm?
Choose react if you want the larger community (250,566 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose HeyForm if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.