head to head · open source
Dify vs OpenWork
Dify has 160,186 GitHub stars, 25,328 forks, 1,067 open issues and last shipped yesterday. OpenWork has 24,364 stars, 2,474 forks, 504 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Dify leads on adoption by 557% (160,186 vs 24,364 stars). Dify is written in Python under a custom or non-standard licence; OpenWork is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. Dify has attracted 16% as many forks as stars, OpenWork 10%. Dify was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
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
| Dify | OpenWork | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 160K | ★ 24K |
| License | Custom / other | Custom / other |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 25K | ⑂ 2.5K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Dify if
- You weight community size — 160K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick OpenWork if
- You want the OpenWork feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and OpenWork fits your workflow better
About Dify
Dify Cloud · Self hosting · Documentation · Dify edition overview Dify is an open source LLM app development platform. Its intuitive interface combines AI workflow, RAG pipeline, agent capabilities, model management, observability features (including Opik, Langfuse, and Arize Phoenix) and more, letting you quickly go from prototype to production. Here's a list of the core features: Quick start Before installing Dify, make sure your machine meets the following minimum system requirements: CPU = 2 Core RAM = 4 GiB The easiest way to start the Dify server is through Docker Compose. Before running Dify with the…
About OpenWork
OpenWork OpenWork is a free, open source desktop app made for sharing AI workflows. It is an open source alternative to Claude Cowork and Codex for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Add one OpenWork MCP to Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, or another compatible agent and reuse the same skills, MCPs, and connected services across your tools, teammates, and machines. Create something once, share it with coworkers or friends, or keep it for yourself. The desktop app is there when you want a dedicated workspace, but it is not required. You can use OpenWork from the agent you already have. For larger organizations, the admin…
read the full OpenWork overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Dify or OpenWork more popular?
Dify has 160,186 GitHub stars and OpenWork has 24,364. Dify has the larger community by that measure.
Are Dify and OpenWork free?
Neither Dify nor OpenWork declares a licence in this registry, so check each project's own repository before relying on either for a commercial use. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Dify and OpenWork?
Dify is written in Python and OpenWork 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, Dify or OpenWork?
Choose Dify if you want the larger community (160,186 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose OpenWork if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.