head to head · open source
AstrBot vs Kai
AstrBot has 45,879 GitHub stars, 3,368 forks, 1,516 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Kai has 1,330 stars, 210 forks, 127 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. AstrBot leads on adoption by 3,350% (45,879 vs 1,330 stars). AstrBot is written in Python under AGPL-3.0; Kai is written in Kotlin under Apache-2.0. AstrBot has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, Kai 16%. AstrBot was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (ai, chatbot), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| AstrBot | Kai | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 46K | ★ 1.3K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | Kotlin |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.4K | ⑂ 210 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick AstrBot if
- You weight community size — 46K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Kai if
- You want the Kai feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Kotlin
- You evaluated both and Kai fits your workflow better
About AstrBot
简体中文 ｜ 繁體中文 ｜ 日本語 ｜ Français ｜ Español ｜ Русский Documentation ｜ Blog ｜ Roadmap ｜ Issue Tracker ｜ Email Support AstrBot is an open source all in one Agent chatbot platform that integrates with mainstream instant messaging apps. It provides reliable and scalable conversational AI infrastructure for individuals, developers, and teams. Whether you're building a personal AI companion, intelligent customer service, automation assistant, or enterprise knowledge base, AstrBot enables you to quickly build production ready AI applications within your IM platform workflows. Key Features 1. 💯 Free & Open Source. 2. ✨ AI…
read the full AstrBot overview →
About Kai
Kai 9000 An open source AI assistant with persistent memory that runs on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux, and Web . Website Documentation Sponsor: Atlas Cloud Installation Homebrew (macOS): AUR (Arch Linux): Winget (Windows): Direct Downloads AI That Builds Screens, Not Just Text Kai 9000's Interactive UI lets the AI generate full interactive screens — quizzes, dashboards, recipes, brainstorms, and more. Navigate by tapping buttons instead of scrolling through chat. Features Persistent memory — Kai remembers important details across conversations and uses them automatically Customizable soul — Define the AI's…
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Frequently asked questions
Is AstrBot or Kai more popular?
AstrBot has 45,879 GitHub stars and Kai has 1,330. AstrBot has the larger community by that measure.
Are AstrBot and Kai free?
Both are open source. AstrBot is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Kai under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between AstrBot and Kai?
AstrBot is written in Python and Kai in Kotlin. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, AstrBot or Kai?
Choose AstrBot if you want the larger community (45,879 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Kai if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.