head to head · open source
OpenContracts vs Addax
OpenContracts has 1,484 GitHub stars, 189 forks, 11 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Addax has 1,441 stars, 343 forks, 5 open issues and last shipped today. OpenContracts leads on adoption by 3% (1,484 vs 1,441 stars). OpenContracts is written in Python under MIT; Addax is written in Java under Apache-2.0. OpenContracts has attracted 13% as many forks as stars, Addax 24%. Addax was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (etl), 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
| OpenContracts | Addax | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 1.5K | ★ 1.4K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | Java |
| Last push | 2026-09-19 | 2026-09-20 |
| Forks | ⑂ 189 | ⑂ 343 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick OpenContracts if
- You weight community size — 1.5K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Addax if
- You want the Addax feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You evaluated both and Addax fits your workflow better
About OpenContracts
OpenContracts is an MIT licensed, self hosted document intelligence platform that turns a repository of documents into a programmable citation graph, built for builders and hackers who need a document management system for the agentic world as much as a place to store files.
read the full OpenContracts overview →
About Addax
Addax is an open source, Java based ETL tool for moving data between relational databases, NoSQL stores, file formats, and big data systems. It is an actively maintained fork of Alibaba DataX, which the README describes as frozen since 2023, and it is positioned as the maintained successor for users who need continued updates, dependency fixes, and plugin development in the DataX ecosystem.
read the full Addax overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is OpenContracts or Addax more popular?
OpenContracts has 1,484 GitHub stars and Addax has 1,441. OpenContracts has the larger community by that measure.
Are OpenContracts and Addax free?
Both are open source. OpenContracts is licensed under MIT and Addax under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between OpenContracts and Addax?
OpenContracts is written in Python and Addax in Java. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, OpenContracts or Addax?
Choose OpenContracts if you want the larger community (1,484 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Addax if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.