head to head · open source
langchain vs OpenWork
langchain has 146,538 GitHub stars, 24,504 forks, 492 open issues and last shipped yesterday. OpenWork has 23,614 stars, 2,369 forks, 504 open issues and last shipped yesterday. langchain leads on adoption by 521% (146,538 vs 23,614 stars). langchain is written in Python under MIT; OpenWork is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. langchain has attracted 17% as many forks as stars, OpenWork 10%. langchain 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
| langchain | OpenWork | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 147K | ★ 24K |
| License | MIT | Custom / other |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 25K | ⑂ 2.4K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick langchain if
- You weight community size — 147K stars and counting
- You want the MIT 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 langchain
LangChain is an open source framework for building agents and LLM powered applications, written in Python and released under the MIT license. It lives in the AI and machine learning ecosystem, specifically among AI development platforms, and it works by chaining together interoperable components and third party integrations so that AI application development becomes simpler. The project describes itself as the agent engineering platform, and its abstractions are designed to keep applications working as the underlying technology evolves.
read the full langchain overview →
About OpenWork
OpenWork is a free, open source desktop app and agent connected workspace for sharing AI workflows. It is described as an open source alternative to Claude Cowork and Codex for macOS, Windows, and Linux. It lives in the AI development platform ecosystem and connects to agents through the Model Context Protocol, including Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, OpenCode, and other compatible MCP clients.
read the full OpenWork overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is langchain or OpenWork more popular?
langchain has 146,538 GitHub stars and OpenWork has 23,614. langchain has the larger community by that measure.
Are langchain and OpenWork free?
Both are open source. langchain is licensed under MIT, and OpenWork has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between langchain and OpenWork?
langchain 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, langchain or OpenWork?
Choose langchain if you want the larger community (146,538 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose OpenWork if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.