# penpot vs PixelFed

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

| | penpot | PixelFed |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 84/100 ✓ | 64/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 30 in Collaboration | #12 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums |
| GitHub stars | 61 824 ✓ | 7 131 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 482 ✓ | +24 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 12 | 15 ✓ |
| Latest release | 2.18.5 · 26 Oct 2026 ✓ | v0.15.2 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | MPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Clojure | PHP |

## Which one should you pick?

penpot scores 84/100 against 64/100 for PixelFed, so it is the safer default.

PixelFed ships more often: 15 stable releases in the past year, against 12 for penpot.

penpot is growing faster right now (+1 482 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [penpot](https://selfhost.directory/project/penpot) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/penpot.md)
- [PixelFed](https://selfhost.directory/project/pixelfed) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/pixelfed.md)

## Related comparisons

- [OpenDesign vs penpot](https://selfhost.directory/compare/open-design-vs-penpot)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/penpot-vs-pixelfed