head to head · open source
langchain vs LiteLLM
langchain has 148,892 GitHub stars, 25,031 forks, 492 open issues and last shipped yesterday. LiteLLM has 62,569 stars, 12,940 forks, 5,022 open issues and last shipped yesterday. langchain leads on adoption by 138% (148,892 vs 62,569 stars). langchain is written in Python under MIT; LiteLLM is written in Python under a custom or non-standard licence. langchain has attracted 17% as many forks as stars, LiteLLM 21%. LiteLLM was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (anthropic, langchain), 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
| langchain | LiteLLM | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 149K | ★ 63K |
| License | MIT | Custom / other |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 25K | ⑂ 13K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick langchain if
- You weight community size — 149K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick LiteLLM if
- You want the LiteLLM feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and LiteLLM fits your workflow better
About langchain
The agent engineering platform. LangChain is a framework for building agents and LLM powered applications. It helps you chain together interoperable components and third party integrations to simplify AI application development — all while future proofing decisions as the underlying technology evolves. [!TIP] Just getting started? Check out Deep Agents — a higher level package built on LangChain for agents that have built in capabilities for common usage patterns such as planning, subagents, file system usage, and more. Quickstart If you're looking for more advanced customization or agent orchestration, check…
read the full langchain overview →
About LiteLLM
🚅 LiteLLM LiteLLM AI Gateway Open Source AI Gateway for 100+ LLMs. Self hosted. Enterprise ready. Call any LLM in OpenAI format. LiteLLM Proxy Server (AI Gateway) Hosted Proxy Enterprise Tier Website What is LiteLLM LiteLLM is an open source AI Gateway that gives you a single, unified interface to call 100+ LLM providers — OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Bedrock, Azure, and more — using the OpenAI format. Use it as a Python SDK for direct library integration, or deploy the AI Gateway (Proxy Server) as a centralized service for your team or organization. Jump to LiteLLM Proxy (LLM Gateway) Docs Jump to Supported LLM…
read the full LiteLLM overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is langchain or LiteLLM more popular?
langchain has 148,892 GitHub stars and LiteLLM has 62,569. langchain has the larger community by that measure.
Are langchain and LiteLLM free?
Both are open source. langchain is licensed under MIT, and LiteLLM has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between langchain and LiteLLM?
langchain is written in Python and LiteLLM 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, langchain or LiteLLM?
Choose langchain if you want the larger community (148,892 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose LiteLLM if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.