head to head · open source
Reflex vs gentle-shell
Reflex has 28,889 GitHub stars, 1,777 forks, 346 open issues and last shipped today. gentle-shell has 902 stars, 127 forks, 369 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Reflex leads on adoption by 3,103% (28,889 vs 902 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 14%. 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 | ★ 902 |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 127 |
| 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
Reflex is an open source Apache 2.0 Python library for building full stack web apps and internal tools entirely in Python, aimed at Python developers who want a browser based frontend without learning JavaScript.
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 agent…
read the full gentle-shell overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Reflex or gentle-shell more popular?
Reflex has 28,889 GitHub stars and gentle-shell has 902. 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 (28,889 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.