head to head · open source
dots vs x-reader
dots has 32,357 GitHub stars, 4,739 forks, 0 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. x-reader has 988 stars, 97 forks, 3 open issues and last shipped 6 days ago. dots leads on adoption by 3,175% (32,357 vs 988 stars). dots is written in TypeScript under MIT; x-reader is written in Python under MIT. dots has attracted 15% as many forks as stars, x-reader 10%. dots was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (ai-agents), 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
| dots | x-reader | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 32K | ★ 988 |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | Python |
| Last push | 2026-10-31 | 2026-10-28 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.7K | ⑂ 97 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick dots if
- You weight community size — 32K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick x-reader if
- You want the x-reader feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and x-reader fits your workflow better
About dots
dots Every AI agent is a model and a browser. You can swap the model with one flag. The browser is what the website sees. Windows, in PowerShell: Linux: Then open The conversation on the left, the browser on the right, live. It all comes down to the browser When a web agent fails, the model is rarely why. The page never loaded, a challenge appeared, the login expired, the click did not land. All of that happens in the browser, before the model gets to think. So dots is built around one: A real Firefox engine, patched in C++. The fingerprint is decided inside the engine, not painted over with JavaScript that a…
About x-reader
x reader Universal content reader — fetch, transcribe, and digest content from any platform. Give it a URL (article, video, podcast, tweet), get back structured content. Works as CLI, Python library, MCP server, or Claude Code skills. 简体中文： README.zh.md / README.zh CN.md What It Does The Python layer handles text fetching and YouTube subtitle extraction. The Claude Code skills (optional) add full Whisper transcription for video/podcast and AI powered content analysis. Three Layers x reader is composable. Use the layers you need: Layer 1: Python CLI Layer 2: Claude Code Skills Requires cloning the repo (not…
read the full x-reader overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is dots or x-reader more popular?
dots has 32,357 GitHub stars and x-reader has 988. dots has the larger community by that measure.
Are dots and x-reader free?
Both are open source. dots is licensed under MIT and x-reader under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between dots and x-reader?
dots is written in TypeScript and x-reader in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, dots or x-reader?
Choose dots if you want the larger community (32,357 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose x-reader if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.