head to head · open source
webtorrent vs Screenity
webtorrent has 31,397 GitHub stars, 2,902 forks, 83 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. Screenity has 18,703 stars, 1,521 forks, 8 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. webtorrent leads on adoption by 68% (31,397 vs 18,703 stars). webtorrent is written in JavaScript under MIT; Screenity is written in JavaScript under GPL-3.0. webtorrent has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, Screenity 8%. Screenity was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (javascript), 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
| webtorrent | Screenity | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 31K | ★ 19K |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-15 | 2026-09-16 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.9K | ⑂ 1.5K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick webtorrent if
- You weight community size — 31K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Screenity if
- You want the Screenity feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and Screenity fits your workflow better
About webtorrent
WebTorrent is a streaming torrent client written entirely in JavaScript, distributed as a single npm package that runs both in node.js and in the browser. In node.js it behaves as an ordinary torrent client, using TCP and UDP to communicate with other clients. In the browser it uses WebRTC data channels for peer to peer transport, which means it works without browser plugins, extensions, or installations. The project lives in the JavaScript and node.js ecosystem, is licensed under MIT, and has been developed for roughly thirteen years.
read the full webtorrent overview →
About Screenity
Screenity is a JavaScript Chrome extension under the GPL 3.0 license that records the screen and supports annotation in the browser. It lives in the Chrome extension ecosystem and is distributed through the Chrome Web Store, while its source code is available on GitHub.
read the full Screenity overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is webtorrent or Screenity more popular?
webtorrent has 31,397 GitHub stars and Screenity has 18,703. webtorrent has the larger community by that measure.
Are webtorrent and Screenity free?
Both are open source. webtorrent is licensed under MIT and Screenity under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between webtorrent and Screenity?
webtorrent is written in JavaScript and Screenity 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, webtorrent or Screenity?
Choose webtorrent if you want the larger community (31,397 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Screenity if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.