# openpencil vs OpenSearch

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

| | openpencil | OpenSearch |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 73/100 | 76/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #2 of 7 in Design | #7 of 41 in Search Engines |
| GitHub stars | 9 428 | 13 930 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +827 ✓ | +155 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 14 ✓ | 11 |
| Latest release | v0.16.0 · 14 Oct 2026 | 2.19.7 · 17 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

OpenSearch scores 76/100 against 73/100 for openpencil, so it is the safer default.

openpencil ships more often: 14 stable releases in the past year, against 11 for OpenSearch.

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

openpencil is growing faster right now (+827 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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