head to head · open source
OpenClaw vs Dify
OpenClaw has 390,029 GitHub stars, 81,995 forks, 6,671 open issues and last shipped today. Dify has 156,215 stars, 24,668 forks, 1,067 open issues and last shipped today. OpenClaw leads on adoption by 150% (390,029 vs 156,215 stars). OpenClaw is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Dify is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. OpenClaw has attracted 21% as many forks as stars, Dify 16%. OpenClaw was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (ai), 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
| OpenClaw | Dify | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 390K | ★ 156K |
| License | Custom / other | Custom / other |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 82K | ⑂ 25K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick OpenClaw if
- You weight community size — 390K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Dify if
- You want the Dify feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Dify fits your workflow better
About OpenClaw
OpenClaw is an open source, self hosted AI assistant in the AI & Machine Learning / AI Interaction & Interfaces category that runs on hardware the user controls and meets them inside the messaging channels they already use, for individuals who want a personal assistant on a laptop and teams that want a shared deployment.
read the full OpenClaw overview →
About Dify
Dify is an open source LLM application development platform built in TypeScript. It provides a visual interface for designing, testing, and deploying AI workflows, RAG pipelines, and agentic systems without writing extensive code. The platform lives in the generative AI development ecosystem and targets teams needing to move from prototype to production using consistent tooling across environments.
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Frequently asked questions
Is OpenClaw or Dify more popular?
OpenClaw has 390,029 GitHub stars and Dify has 156,215. OpenClaw has the larger community by that measure.
Are OpenClaw and Dify free?
Neither OpenClaw nor Dify declares a licence in this registry, so check each project's own repository before relying on either for a commercial use. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between OpenClaw and Dify?
OpenClaw is written in TypeScript and Dify 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, OpenClaw or Dify?
Choose OpenClaw if you want the larger community (390,029 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Dify if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.