head to head · open source
Langflow vs illa-builder
Langflow has 155,507 GitHub stars, 10,180 forks, 1,056 open issues and last shipped today. illa-builder has 12,331 stars, 1,210 forks, 43 open issues and last shipped 4 months ago. Langflow leads on adoption by 1,161% (155,507 vs 12,331 stars). Langflow is written in Python under MIT; illa-builder is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. Langflow has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, illa-builder 10%. Langflow 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.
← all 20902 open source comparisons
Side by side
| Langflow | illa-builder | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 156K | ★ 12K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-10-05 | 2026-05-27 |
| Forks | ⑂ 10K | ⑂ 1.2K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Langflow if
- You weight community size — 156K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick illa-builder if
- You want the illa-builder feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and illa-builder fits your workflow better
About Langflow
Langflow is a visual builder platform for designing, testing, and deploying AI agents and retrieval augmented generation (RAG) pipelines. It lives in the Python based generative AI ecosystem and targets developers building intelligent applications. The project provides a low code interface to assemble components—such as LLMs, vector stores, memory modules, and tools—into executable workflows, while also exposing those workflows as APIs or MCP servers for integration into external applications.
read the full Langflow overview →
About illa-builder
ILLA Builder is an open source low code platform for developers and internal tool teams who want to build dashboards, CRUD apps, admin panels, CRMs and CMSs without hand coding the front end.
read the full illa-builder overview →
More in Developer Tools
Related comparisons
More Frameworks & Platforms projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Frameworks & Platforms field.
Frequently asked questions
Is Langflow or illa-builder more popular?
Langflow has 155,507 GitHub stars and illa-builder has 12,331. Langflow has the larger community by that measure.
Are Langflow and illa-builder free?
Both are open source. Langflow is licensed under MIT and illa-builder under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Langflow and illa-builder?
Langflow is written in Python and illa-builder 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, Langflow or illa-builder?
Choose Langflow if you want the larger community (155,507 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose illa-builder if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.