head to head · open source
strix vs hol-guard
strix has 63,387 GitHub stars, 6,917 forks, 383 open issues and last shipped yesterday. hol-guard has 624 stars, 69 forks, 94 open issues and last shipped today. strix leads on adoption by 10,058% (63,387 vs 624 stars). strix is written in Python under Apache-2.0; hol-guard is written in Python under Apache-2.0. strix has attracted 11% as many forks as stars, hol-guard 11%. hol-guard was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (ai-security), 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
| strix | hol-guard | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 63K | ★ 624 |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 6.9K | ⑂ 69 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick strix if
- You weight community size — 63K 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 hol-guard if
- You want the hol-guard feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and hol-guard fits your workflow better
About strix
Strix is an open source AI penetration testing tool that deploys autonomous AI agents against a running codebase to find, validate, and fix application vulnerabilities, built for developers and security teams who want dynamic security testing without the cost and scheduling overhead of manual pentesting.
read the full strix overview →
About hol-guard
HOL Guard: Open Source Antivirus for AI Agents HOL Guard reviews agent actions before they run: shell commands, file access, package installs, and MCP tool calls. It detects secret exposure, destructive operations, prompt injection, and supply chain risks, then allows, blocks, or requests approval according to your policy. Run it locally without an account. Use the CLI and local dashboard to manage protection, resolve approvals, and inspect decision history. Optional Guard Cloud adds shared history, team policy, and fleet management. Get started · Supported agents · Plugin scanner · Documentation · Contribute an …
read the full hol-guard overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is strix or hol-guard more popular?
strix has 63,387 GitHub stars and hol-guard has 624. strix has the larger community by that measure.
Are strix and hol-guard free?
Both are open source. strix is licensed under Apache-2.0 and hol-guard under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between strix and hol-guard?
strix is written in Python and hol-guard 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, strix or hol-guard?
Choose strix if you want the larger community (63,387 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose hol-guard if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.