# bookwyrm vs openpencil

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | bookwyrm | openpencil |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 58/100 | 73/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #26 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #2 of 7 in Design |
| GitHub stars | 2 808 | 9 424 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +22 | +823 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 12 | 14 ✓ |
| Latest release | v0.9.4 · 29 Oct 2026 ✓ | v0.16.0 · 14 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | Other | MIT |
| Main language | Python | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

openpencil scores 73/100 against 58/100 for bookwyrm, so it is the safer default.

openpencil ships more often: 14 stable releases in the past year, against 12 for bookwyrm.

If you want the quickest setup, openpencil is easier to run; bookwyrm needs more configuration.

openpencil is growing faster right now (+823 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [bookwyrm](https://selfhost.directory/project/bookwyrm) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/bookwyrm.md)
- [openpencil](https://selfhost.directory/project/openpencil) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/openpencil.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/bookwyrm-vs-openpencil