head to head · open source
langchain vs OpenWork
langchain has 148,892 GitHub stars, 25,031 forks, 492 open issues and last shipped yesterday. OpenWork has 24,370 stars, 2,473 forks, 504 open issues and last shipped yesterday. langchain leads on adoption by 511% (148,892 vs 24,370 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%. OpenWork 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 | ★ 149K | ★ 24K |
| License | MIT | Custom / other |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 25K | ⑂ 2.5K |
| 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 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
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 OpenWork
OpenWork OpenWork is a free, open source desktop app made for sharing AI workflows. It is an open source alternative to Claude Cowork and Codex for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Add one OpenWork MCP to Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, or another compatible agent and reuse the same skills, MCPs, and connected services across your tools, teammates, and machines. Create something once, share it with coworkers or friends, or keep it for yourself. The desktop app is there when you want a dedicated workspace, but it is not required. You can use OpenWork from the agent you already have. For larger organizations, the admin…
read the full OpenWork overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is langchain or OpenWork more popular?
langchain has 148,892 GitHub stars and OpenWork has 24,370. 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 (148,892 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose OpenWork if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.