head to head · open source
OpenViking vs simba
OpenViking has 41,383 GitHub stars, 3,362 forks, 999 open issues and last shipped yesterday. simba has 1,547 stars, 115 forks, 6 open issues and last shipped 5 months ago. OpenViking leads on adoption by 2,575% (41,383 vs 1,547 stars). OpenViking is written in Python under AGPL-3.0; simba is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. OpenViking has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, simba 7%. OpenViking was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (knowledge-base), 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
| OpenViking | simba | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 41K | ★ 1.5K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-06-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.4K | ⑂ 115 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick OpenViking if
- You weight community size — 41K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick simba if
- You want the simba 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 simba fits your workflow better
About OpenViking
The Context Database for AI Agents English / 中文 / 日本語 Website · Live Demo · GitHub · Issues · Docs · Blog Lark · WeChat · Discord · X What is OpenViking OpenViking is an open source context database for AI agents — one filesystem for everything an agent knows: knowledge, memory, and skills. Most agent memory is a black box: text goes in, embeddings come out, and nobody can see what was actually stored. OpenViking organizes context as a virtual filesystem under viking:// instead. Agents navigate it like files — ls , tree , read , write , grep — and you can open any directory to inspect and edit what your agent…
read the full OpenViking overview →
About simba
High Efficiency Customer Service Assistant See how easy it is to integrate Simba into your website What is Simba? Simba is an open source customer service assistant built for teams who need full control over their AI. Unlike black box solutions, Simba is designed from the ground up around evaluation and customization , so you can measure performance, iterate fast, and tailor the assistant to your exact needs. Why Simba? Key Features Evaluation First Design Track retrieval accuracy, generation quality, and latency out of the box. Know exactly how your assistant performs. Fully Customizable Swap embedding models…
read the full simba overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is OpenViking or simba more popular?
OpenViking has 41,383 GitHub stars and simba has 1,547. OpenViking has the larger community by that measure.
Are OpenViking and simba free?
Both are open source. OpenViking is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and simba under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between OpenViking and simba?
OpenViking is written in Python and simba 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, OpenViking or simba?
Choose OpenViking if you want the larger community (41,383 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose simba if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.