Backstagevsopenpencil
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Backstage | openpencil | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 79/100 | 73/100 |
| Rank in category | #8 of 166 in Developer Tools | #2 of 7 in Design |
| GitHub stars | 34 739 | 9 422 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +57 | +821 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 14 | 14 |
| Latest release | v1.57.0-next.0 · 27 Oct 2026 | v0.16.0 · 14 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Typescript | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
Backstage scores 79/100 against 73/100 for openpencil, so it is the safer default.
If you want the quickest setup, openpencil is easier to run; Backstage needs more configuration.
openpencil is growing faster right now (+821 stars in 30 days).
Backstage details →openpencil details →