head to head · open source
emacs-application-framework vs hermes-browser-extension
emacs-application-framework has 3,488 GitHub stars, 245 forks, 21 open issues and last shipped 28 days ago. hermes-browser-extension has 1,542 stars, 147 forks, 15 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. emacs-application-framework leads on adoption by 126% (3,488 vs 1,542 stars). emacs-application-framework is written in Python under GPL-3.0; hermes-browser-extension is written in JavaScript under MIT. emacs-application-framework has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, hermes-browser-extension 10%. hermes-browser-extension 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
| emacs-application-framework | hermes-browser-extension | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 3.5K | ★ 1.5K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Python | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-08-23 | 2026-09-16 |
| Forks | ⑂ 245 | ⑂ 147 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick emacs-application-framework if
- You weight community size — 3.5K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick hermes-browser-extension if
- You want the hermes-browser-extension feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and hermes-browser-extension fits your workflow better
About emacs-application-framework
Emacs Application Framework (EAF) is a free/libre, open source framework that extends the graphical capabilities of Emacs, built for hackers who work with numerous languages and text, are keyboard driven, and want maximum freedom, extensibility, and introspectivity over their tools — potentially to the point of living in Emacs.
read the full emacs-application-framework overview →
About hermes-browser-extension
Hermes Browser Extension is a Chrome, Edge, and Chromium side panel that connects the web page a user is viewing to a real Hermes Agent runtime, whether that runtime runs locally or on a gateway the user controls.
read the full hermes-browser-extension overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is emacs-application-framework or hermes-browser-extension more popular?
emacs-application-framework has 3,488 GitHub stars and hermes-browser-extension has 1,542. emacs-application-framework has the larger community by that measure.
Are emacs-application-framework and hermes-browser-extension free?
Both are open source. emacs-application-framework is licensed under GPL-3.0 and hermes-browser-extension under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between emacs-application-framework and hermes-browser-extension?
emacs-application-framework is written in Python and hermes-browser-extension in JavaScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, emacs-application-framework or hermes-browser-extension?
Choose emacs-application-framework if you want the larger community (3,488 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose hermes-browser-extension if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.