HyCanvasvspenpot
Two self-hosted Canva alternatives, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| HyCanvas | penpot | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 49/100 | 84/100 |
| Rank in category | #6 of 7 in Design | #1 of 30 in Collaboration |
| GitHub stars | 255 | 61 794 |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +1 482 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 10 | 12 |
| Latest release | v0.3.18 · 26 Oct 2026 | 2.18.5 · 26 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Clojure |
Which one should you pick?
penpot scores 84/100 against 49/100 for HyCanvas, so it is the safer default.
penpot ships more often: 12 stable releases in the past year, against 10 for HyCanvas.
If you want the quickest setup, HyCanvas is easier to run; penpot needs more configuration.
penpot is growing faster right now (+1 482 stars in 30 days).
HyCanvas details →penpot details → All Canva alternatives →