head to head · open source
Reflex vs gentle-shell
Reflex has 28,987 GitHub stars, 1,827 forks, 346 open issues and last shipped yesterday. gentle-shell has 1,527 stars, 248 forks, 369 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Reflex leads on adoption by 1,798% (28,987 vs 1,527 stars). Reflex is written in Python under Apache-2.0; gentle-shell is written in TypeScript under MIT. Reflex has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, gentle-shell 16%. Reflex was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (developer-tools), 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
| Reflex | gentle-shell | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 29K | ★ 1.5K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 248 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Reflex if
- You weight community size — 29K 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 gentle-shell if
- You want the gentle-shell feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and gentle-shell fits your workflow better
About Reflex
✨ Performant, customizable web apps in pure Python. Deploy in seconds. ✨ [!NOTE] Build faster with Reflex: AI Builder Generate full stack Reflex apps in seconds. Agent Toolkit Connect MCP and Skills to your coding assistant. App Management Deploy and manage your Reflex apps. Introduction Reflex is a library to build full stack web apps in pure Python. Key features: Pure Python Write your app's frontend and backend all in Python, no need to learn Javascript. Full Flexibility Reflex is easy to get started with, but can also scale to complex apps. See our architecture page to learn how Reflex works under the hood…
read the full Reflex overview →
About gentle-shell
gentle shell™ Your coding agent for controlled development in the workspace you lead. Website · Quickstart · Docs · Wiki Your terminal can run an agent. Your workspace should help you lead it. gentle shell is your coding agent, bringing your changes, tasks, and engineering workflow together—built for Pi. One workspace. A coding agent you direct. A workflow you can inspect. BUILT FOR PI · Coding agent workspace · Focused agents · ODD + optional SDD ★ Star gentle shell on GitHub Built for Pi. Shaped by Gentle AI. Features gentle shell — Your coding agent, in the workspace you lead A complete workspace for the…
read the full gentle-shell overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Reflex or gentle-shell more popular?
Reflex has 28,987 GitHub stars and gentle-shell has 1,527. Reflex has the larger community by that measure.
Are Reflex and gentle-shell free?
Both are open source. Reflex is licensed under Apache-2.0 and gentle-shell under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Reflex and gentle-shell?
Reflex is written in Python and gentle-shell 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, Reflex or gentle-shell?
Choose Reflex if you want the larger community (28,987 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose gentle-shell if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.