head to head · open source
ralph vs kept
ralph has 2,532 GitHub stars, 593 forks, 124 open issues and last shipped yesterday. kept has 512 stars, 35 forks, 30 open issues and last shipped yesterday. ralph leads on adoption by 395% (2,532 vs 512 stars). ralph is written in Python under Apache-2.0; kept is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. ralph has attracted 23% as many forks as stars, kept 7%. kept was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (inventory, inventory-management), 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
| ralph | kept | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 2.5K | ★ 512 |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-06 | 2026-11-06 |
| Forks | ⑂ 593 | ⑂ 35 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick ralph if
- You weight community size — 2.5K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick kept if
- You want the kept feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and kept fits your workflow better
About ralph
Ralph Update 2025/02 As Allegro, we continue to publish Ralph's source code and will maintain its development under a "Sources only" model, without guarantees. We believe this approach will be beneficial, allowing everyone to use and build upon the software. Our current goal is to modernize the software and ensure its long term maintainability, and we're investing into it in 2025. However, we are not operating under a contribution based model. While we welcome discussions, we do not guarantee responses to issues or support for pull requests. If you require commercial support, please visit We sincerely appreciate…
read the full ralph overview →
About kept
A self hosted, open source inventory of everything you own and where it is. Homes, garages and storage units; the rooms, shelves and boxes inside them; the things inside those, with receipts, manuals, warranties and history. Self hosted, on your own server or homelab. Nothing leaves it unless you turn it on: no telemetry, the update check off by default, the AI provider yours to choose. Try it Nothing to install, nothing saved. Try Kept: the whole app, with a sample household. Try the map: the 3D map, with a sample home. Host it: Docker Compose or Kubernetes. A look around List: names first, each with its type…
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Frequently asked questions
Is ralph or kept more popular?
ralph has 2,532 GitHub stars and kept has 512. ralph has the larger community by that measure.
Are ralph and kept free?
Both are open source. ralph is licensed under Apache-2.0 and kept under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between ralph and kept?
ralph is written in Python and kept 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, ralph or kept?
Choose ralph if you want the larger community (2,532 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose kept if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.