head to head · open source
compose vs CodeMachine-CLI
compose has 38,573 GitHub stars, 5,899 forks, 111 open issues and last shipped yesterday. CodeMachine-CLI has 2,511 stars, 235 forks, 9 open issues and last shipped 8 months ago. compose leads on adoption by 1,436% (38,573 vs 2,511 stars). compose is written in Go under Apache-2.0; CodeMachine-CLI is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. compose has attracted 15% as many forks as stars, CodeMachine-CLI 9%. compose was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (orchestration), 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
| compose | CodeMachine-CLI | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 39K | ★ 2.5K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Go | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-02-25 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.9K | ⑂ 235 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick compose if
- You weight community size — 39K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick CodeMachine-CLI if
- You want the CodeMachine-CLI feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and CodeMachine-CLI fits your workflow better
About compose
Table of Contents Docker Compose Where to get Docker Compose + Windows and macOS + Linux Quick Start Contributing Legacy Docker Compose Docker Compose is a tool for running multi container applications on Docker defined using the Compose file format. A Compose file is used to define how one or more containers that make up your application are configured. Once you have a Compose file, you can create and start your application with a single command: docker compose up . Note : About Docker Swarm Docker Swarm used to rely on the legacy compose file format but did not adopt the compose specification so is missing…
read the full compose overview →
About CodeMachine-CLI
npm i g codemachine CodeMachine is an open source tool that orchestrates AI coding agents into repeatable, long running workflows. ⚡️ Every time you use an AI coding agent, you're running a workflow. Fix a bug? You ask questions, reproduce, analyze, plan, implement, test. Build a feature? You research, design, code, review. The workflow lives in your head. You guide the agent through it, step by step, session by session. But every time you start, you rebuild it from scratch. You re explain the process. You remember to ask the right questions. You manage when to clear context, when to push forward, when to loop…
read the full CodeMachine-CLI overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is compose or CodeMachine-CLI more popular?
compose has 38,573 GitHub stars and CodeMachine-CLI has 2,511. compose has the larger community by that measure.
Are compose and CodeMachine-CLI free?
Both are open source. compose is licensed under Apache-2.0 and CodeMachine-CLI under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between compose and CodeMachine-CLI?
compose is written in Go and CodeMachine-CLI in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, compose or CodeMachine-CLI?
Choose compose if you want the larger community (38,573 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose CodeMachine-CLI if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.