head to head · open source
opcode vs clangd
opcode has 22,415 GitHub stars, 1,711 forks, 332 open issues and last shipped 22 days ago. clangd has 2,310 stars, 97 forks, 858 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. opcode leads on adoption by 870% (22,415 vs 2,310 stars). opcode is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0; clangd is written in Shell under Apache-2.0. opcode has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, clangd 4%. clangd was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (ide), 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
| opcode | clangd | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 22K | ★ 2.3K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Shell |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-10-06 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.7K | ⑂ 97 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick opcode if
- You weight community size — 22K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick clangd if
- You want the clangd feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Shell
- You evaluated both and clangd fits your workflow better
About opcode
opcode is an open source desktop GUI application and toolkit for Claude Code that provides a visual command centre for projects, sessions, custom agents, Model Context Protocol servers, checkpoints, and API usage, aimed at developers who already work with Claude Code from the command line and want a graphical layer over it.
read the full opcode overview →
About clangd
clangd is a language server that brings C++ IDE features to editors, aimed at developers writing C++ who want those features available in whatever editor they use.
read the full clangd overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is opcode or clangd more popular?
opcode has 22,415 GitHub stars and clangd has 2,310. opcode has the larger community by that measure.
Are opcode and clangd free?
Both are open source. opcode is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and clangd under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between opcode and clangd?
opcode is written in TypeScript and clangd in Shell. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, opcode or clangd?
Choose opcode if you want the larger community (22,415 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose clangd if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.