Comparison
agent-protocol vs contexto
Verdict
Pick agent-protocol if agent-protocol provides a standardized interface for interacting with various AI agents regardless of their underlying tech stack, aiming to ease development, deployment, and benchmarking; pick contexto if contexto is a context engine for long-running AI agents, supporting OpenClaw and Hermes, with managed hosting options.
Markdown twin · agent-protocol alternatives · contexto alternatives
GraphCanon updated Oct 8, 2026
15views this month
Trust & integrity
| Signal | agent-protocol | contexto |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Dormant (547d since push) As of Oct 8, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Slowing (100d since push) As of Sep 18, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of Oct 8, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Organization account As of Sep 18, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | Published findings As of Jul 11, 2026 · osv@v1 | No lockfile (source not queried) As of Sep 18, 2026 · osv@v1 |
| deps.dev advisories | Not queried deps.dev@v1 | Not queried deps.dev@v1 |
| OpenSSF Scorecard | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 |
Tagline
- agent-protocol
- Common interface for AI agents
- contexto
- Context Engine for long-running AI agents
Stars
- agent-protocol
- 1.5k
- contexto
- 620
Forks
- agent-protocol
- 189
- contexto
- 22
Open issues
- agent-protocol
- 50
- contexto
- 21
Language
- agent-protocol
- Python
- contexto
- TypeScript
Adopt for
- agent-protocol
- agent-protocol provides a standardized interface for interacting with various AI agents regardless of their underlying tech stack, aiming to ease development, deployment, and benchmarking.
- contexto
- Contexto is a context engine for long-running AI agents, supporting OpenClaw and Hermes, with managed hosting options.
Persona
- agent-protocol
- -
- contexto
- -
Runtime
- agent-protocol
- -
- contexto
- -
License
- agent-protocol
- MIT
- contexto
- Apache-2.0
Last pushed
- agent-protocol
- Apr 8, 2025
- contexto
- Jun 10, 2026
Categories
- agent-protocol
- AI Agents
- contexto
- AI Agents, Data & Retrieval
Trust and health
Maintenance
- agent-protocol
- Dormant (18%)
- contexto
- Slowing (36%)
Days since push
- agent-protocol
- 547d
- contexto
- 100d
Open issues (now)
- agent-protocol
- 50
- contexto
- 21
Stars delta
- agent-protocol
- +4 (30d)
- contexto
- -7 (30d)
Open issues delta
- agent-protocol
- +1 (30d)
- contexto
- 0 (30d)
OSV dependency advisories
- agent-protocol
- Published findings
- contexto
- No lockfile (source not queried)
Full report
- agent-protocol
- Trust report
- contexto
- Trust report
Choose agent-protocol if…
- agent-protocol is primarily Python; contexto is TypeScript.
- License: agent-protocol is MIT, contexto is Apache-2.0.
- Tags unique to agent-protocol: agents, ai-agent, api, auto-gpt.
- When you want to ensure interoperability between different AI agents irrespective of the frameworks used by them.
When NOT to use agent-protocol
- If you are developing an isolated system with no intention to communicate or integrate with other AI agents outside this scope.
- When working in environments where specific, proprietary interfaces provide significantly better performance or features than adhering to a generic protocol could offer.
Choose contexto if…
- contexto is primarily TypeScript; agent-protocol is Python.
- License: contexto is Apache-2.0, agent-protocol is MIT.
- Managed hosting is available, eliminating the need to run retrieval infrastructure yourself.
- Requirements: Built specifically for OpenClaw and Hermes..
- Tags unique to contexto: apache 2.0, context-engine, hermes, long-running agents.
- Also covers Data & Retrieval.
- contexto ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment.
- When you are developing long-running AI agents that require reliable context management.
When NOT to use contexto
- If your AI agent does not require long-term context management or operates in short sessions.
- When you are not using OpenClaw or Hermes and prefer a context engine that supports a wider range of frameworks.
- If you need full control over your retrieval infrastructure and prefer not to use managed hosting services.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (agi-inc/agent-protocol) · observed Oct 8, 2026
- GitHub forks (agi-inc/agent-protocol) · observed Oct 8, 2026
- Last push (agi-inc/agent-protocol) · observed Apr 8, 2025
- License file (MIT) · observed Oct 8, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 16, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub stars (ekailabs/contexto) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (ekailabs/contexto) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Last push (ekailabs/contexto) · observed Jun 10, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Sep 18, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Sep 18, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: agent-protocol 1.5k · contexto 620 (synced Oct 8, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between agent-protocol and contexto?
- agent-protocol: Common interface for AI agents. contexto: Context Engine for long-running AI agents. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose agent-protocol over contexto?
- Choose agent-protocol over contexto when agent-protocol is primarily Python; contexto is TypeScript; License: agent-protocol is MIT, contexto is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to agent-protocol: agents, ai-agent, api, auto-gpt; When you want to ensure interoperability between different AI agents irrespective of the frameworks used by them.
- When should I choose contexto over agent-protocol?
- Choose contexto over agent-protocol when contexto is primarily TypeScript; agent-protocol is Python; License: contexto is Apache-2.0, agent-protocol is MIT; Managed hosting is available, eliminating the need to run retrieval infrastructure yourself; Requirements: Built specifically for OpenClaw and Hermes.; Tags unique to contexto: apache 2.0, context-engine, hermes, long-running agents; Also covers Data & Retrieval; contexto ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When you are developing long-running AI agents that require reliable context management.
- When should I avoid agent-protocol?
- If you are developing an isolated system with no intention to communicate or integrate with other AI agents outside this scope. When working in environments where specific, proprietary interfaces provide significantly better performance or features than adhering to a generic protocol could offer.
- When should I avoid contexto?
- If your AI agent does not require long-term context management or operates in short sessions. When you are not using OpenClaw or Hermes and prefer a context engine that supports a wider range of frameworks. If you need full control over your retrieval infrastructure and prefer not to use managed hosting services.
- Is agent-protocol or contexto more popular on GitHub?
- agent-protocol has more GitHub stars (1,458 vs 620). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are agent-protocol and contexto open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (agent-protocol: MIT, contexto: Apache-2.0).
- Where can I find alternatives to agent-protocol or contexto?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at agent-protocol alternatives and contexto alternatives (agent-protocol markdown twin, contexto markdown twin), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes.
- Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison?
- Yes. The markdown twin at this comparison mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.
- Which is better maintained, agent-protocol or contexto?
- agent-protocol: Dormant. contexto: Slowing. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance.
- Where are the full trust reports for agent-protocol and contexto?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: agent-protocol trust report; contexto trust report.