# overleaf vs scalar

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

| | overleaf | scalar |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 74/100 | 76/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #4 of 81 in Notes & Editors | #3 of 13 in API |
| GitHub stars | 18 289 ✓ | 16 335 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +117 | +156 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 46 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | release-2026-10-28-0d01943 · 28 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Main language | JavaScript | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

scalar scores 76/100 against 74/100 for overleaf, so it is the safer default.

scalar ships more often: 46 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for overleaf.

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

## Details

- [overleaf](https://selfhost.directory/project/overleaf) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/overleaf.md)
- [scalar](https://selfhost.directory/project/scalar) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/scalar.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/overleaf-vs-scalar