head to head · open source
compose vs livecontext-ce
compose has 38,593 GitHub stars, 5,901 forks, 111 open issues and last shipped yesterday. livecontext-ce has 776 stars, 73 forks, 0 open issues and last shipped 28 days ago. compose leads on adoption by 4,873% (38,593 vs 776 stars). compose is written in Go under Apache-2.0; livecontext-ce is written in Java under a custom or non-standard licence. compose has attracted 15% as many forks as stars, livecontext-ce 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 (docker), 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 | livecontext-ce | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 39K | ★ 776 |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | Go | Java |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-10-07 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.9K | ⑂ 73 |
| 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 livecontext-ce if
- You want the livecontext-ce feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You evaluated both and livecontext-ce 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 livecontext-ce
LiveContext The AI automation platform. One message in, a working automation out. Describe the job in chat and LiveContext builds it in front of you: a workflow you can read, AI agents with scoped access and budgets you control, and a small app your team actually uses. Chat, Workflow, Agent and App in one self hosted platform. No code to write, nothing to stitch together. An open source, self hosted alternative to n8n, Zapier and Make, with AI agents built in. The builder, built by chat: one message in, a working automation out. Five real scenarios, one loop. Watch it full size · Try the hosted version ⭐…
read the full livecontext-ce overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is compose or livecontext-ce more popular?
compose has 38,593 GitHub stars and livecontext-ce has 776. compose has the larger community by that measure.
Are compose and livecontext-ce free?
Both are open source. compose is licensed under Apache-2.0, and livecontext-ce has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between compose and livecontext-ce?
compose is written in Go and livecontext-ce in Java. 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 livecontext-ce?
Choose compose if you want the larger community (38,593 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose livecontext-ce if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.