head to head · open source
edict vs cairoshell
edict has 16,900 GitHub stars, 1,769 forks, 18 open issues and last shipped 11 days ago. cairoshell has 3,371 stars, 271 forks, 246 open issues and last shipped 9 days ago. edict leads on adoption by 401% (16,900 vs 3,371 stars). edict is written in Python under MIT; cairoshell is written in C# under Apache-2.0. edict has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, cairoshell 8%. cairoshell 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
| edict | cairoshell | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 17K | ★ 3.4K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | C# |
| Last push | 2026-09-07 | 2026-09-09 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 271 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick edict if
- You weight community size — 17K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick cairoshell if
- You want the cairoshell feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C#
- You evaluated both and cairoshell fits your workflow better
About edict
Edict is an MIT licensed Python orchestration system that runs multi agent LLM work through the Tang dynasty Three Departments and Six Ministries, splitting the job across eleven business roles plus one compatibility role so that planning, review, dispatch, and execution are handled by separate agents, and it is built for teams running OpenClaw that need every hand off between agents to be reviewable, auditable, and interruptible.
read the full edict overview →
About cairoshell
Cairo is a customizable, intuitive desktop environment for Windows. It is a C application that provides a shell experience on the Windows desktop, and its listed topics identify it as a launcher, task manager, Windows desktop tool, and WPF project. The repository describes Cairo as a desktop environment whose stated goal is to increase productivity and advance current technology standards, with a focus on stability, performance, and ease of use. It lives in the Windows desktop ecosystem rather than a server or cloud application ecosystem.
read the full cairoshell overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is edict or cairoshell more popular?
edict has 16,900 GitHub stars and cairoshell has 3,371. edict has the larger community by that measure.
Are edict and cairoshell free?
Both are open source. edict is licensed under MIT and cairoshell under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between edict and cairoshell?
edict is written in Python and cairoshell in C#. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, edict or cairoshell?
Choose edict if you want the larger community (16,900 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose cairoshell if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.