head to head · open source
Puter vs Tracecat
Puter has 43,557 GitHub stars, 4,062 forks, 19 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Tracecat has 3,804 stars, 416 forks, 137 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Puter leads on adoption by 1,045% (43,557 vs 3,804 stars). Puter is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0; Tracecat is written in Python under AGPL-3.0. Puter has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, Tracecat 11%. Tracecat 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.
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Side by side
| Puter | Tracecat | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 44K | ★ 3.8K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.1K | ⑂ 416 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Puter if
- You weight community size — 44K 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 Tracecat if
- You want the Tracecat feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and Tracecat fits your workflow better
About Puter
Puter is an open source, self hostable internet computer that delivers a full desktop environment running directly in a web browser. It functions as a cloud based operating system, integrating file storage, applications, and developer tooling into a single cohesive platform. The project lives in the browser based desktop and cloud infrastructure ecosystem, positioning itself as a free and open alternative to proprietary cloud desktop services.
read the full Puter overview →
About Tracecat
Tracecat is an open source security automation platform for teams and AI agents. It lives in the security operations and incident response ecosystem, combining agents, workflows, lookup tables, and case management in one Python application. The project is licensed under AGPL 3.0, with a separate paid Enterprise Edition directory and feature gates.
read the full Tracecat overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Puter or Tracecat more popular?
Puter has 43,557 GitHub stars and Tracecat has 3,804. Puter has the larger community by that measure.
Are Puter and Tracecat free?
Both are open source. Puter is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Tracecat under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Puter and Tracecat?
Puter is written in TypeScript and Tracecat in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Puter or Tracecat?
Choose Puter if you want the larger community (43,557 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Tracecat if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.