Compare / Driver.js vs Shepherd
Driver.js vs Shepherd
Pick Driver.js if you want the published Appcues / Userpilot stack (MIT focus library). Pick Shepherd if you want that AGPL-3.0 library and will buy a commercial license for a commercial product.
Facts checked 26 Oct 2026. License, language, and GitHub activity come from the catalog or the project's own repo. "Not in the catalog row" means the public catalog dump does not store that number.
Driver.js in the catalog Shepherd in the catalog Start on Railway
How they compare
| Driver.js | Shepherd | |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT License (catalog) source | AGPL-3.0 / commercial (catalog) source |
| Language | TypeScript (catalog) | JavaScript (catalog) |
| GitHub activity | 26,951 stars in the catalog; last push 18 Oct 2026 source | 13,831 stars in the catalog; last push 22 Oct 2026 source |
| Self-host | Published as /stacks/driver-tours. A library in the app you already host. | Same motion. Commercial products need a paid license. |
| Best for | The published Appcues / Userpilot replacement. | An AGPL tour if Driver.js is not the shape and you accept the commercial-license rule. |
Self-hosting and resource needs
Driver.js is the published lander — /stacks/driver-tours. Driver.js is nilbuild/driver.js (MIT). Shepherd is shipshapecode/shepherd (AGPL-3.0 for open-source and non-commercial use; commercial license at shepherdjs.dev/pricing). Intro.js is the other AGPL tour — /compare/intro-js-vs-driver-js. These are libraries, not a hosted dashboard.
FAQ
- Appcues or Userpilot?
- Same published tour — /replace/appcues and /replace/userpilot.
- Is this Pendo?
- Pendo analytics stays on /replace/pendo. This pair is a tour library.
- Are these free?
- Driver.js is MIT. Shepherd is AGPL-3.0 for the open-source path; commercial use needs a paid license.
- How do I deploy Driver.js?
- Open /stacks/driver-tours. Add one tour on one page.
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