Comparison
Lumos vs caveman
Verdict
Pick Lumos when lumos is primarily TypeScript; caveman is JavaScript; pick caveman when caveman is primarily JavaScript; Lumos is TypeScript.
Markdown twin · Lumos alternatives · caveman alternatives
GraphCanon updated today
vs
Trust & integrity
| Signal | Lumos | caveman |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Dormant (534d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 | Active (7d since push) As of 4d · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Personal account As of today · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Personal account As of 4d · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of today · osv@v1 | No lockfile (source not queried) As of 4d · 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
- Lumos
- A RAG LLM co-pilot for browsing the web, powered by local LLMs
- caveman
- Reduce token usage with concise 'caveman'-style prompts.
Stars
- Lumos
- 1.5k
- caveman
- 88k
Forks
- Lumos
- 111
- caveman
- 5.1k
Open issues
- Lumos
- 24
- caveman
- 392
Language
- Lumos
- TypeScript
- caveman
- JavaScript
Adopt for
- Lumos
- -
- caveman
- The **caveman** tool is designed for developers and AI users who aim to optimize their token usage through the generation of more concise prompts, thereby potentially reducing costs and improving efficiency. However, it犺
Persona
- Lumos
- -
- caveman
- -
Runtime
- Lumos
- -
- caveman
- -
License
- Lumos
- MIT
- caveman
- MIT
Last pushed
- Lumos
- Jan 26, 2025
- caveman
- Jul 3, 2026
Categories
- Lumos
- Developer Tools, Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks
- caveman
- Developer Tools, LLM Frameworks
Trust and health
Maintenance
- Lumos
- Dormant (18%)
- caveman
- Active (82%)
Days since push
- Lumos
- 534d
- caveman
- 7d
Open issues (now)
- Lumos
- 24
- caveman
- 392
Full report
- Lumos
- Trust report
- caveman
- Trust report
Choose Lumos if…
- Lumos is primarily TypeScript; caveman is JavaScript.
- Tags unique to Lumos: chrome-extension, langchain, langchain-js, llm.
- Also covers Inference & Serving.
When NOT to use Lumos
- Last GitHub push was 535 days ago (dormant maintenance, Jan 26, 2025). Validate activity before betting a new project on Lumos.
- Developer Tools: A gateway is overkill when you're pinned to a single provider and model.
- Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic.
- LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves.
Choose caveman if…
- caveman is primarily JavaScript; Lumos is TypeScript.
- Tags unique to caveman: ai, anthropic, caveman, claude code.
- When you need to significantly cut down on token usage in AI interactions, up to 65%, without losing essential information content.
When NOT to use caveman
- When requiring complex and detailed prompts that necessitate more nuanced expression beyond simple, 'caveman'-style sentences.
- For situations where adherence to formal or specific linguistic structures is mandatory for the task's success.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (andrewnguonly/Lumos) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- GitHub forks (andrewnguonly/Lumos) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- Last push (andrewnguonly/Lumos) · observed Jan 26, 2025
- License file (MIT) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- GitHub stars (JuliusBrussee/caveman) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub forks (JuliusBrussee/caveman) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Last push (JuliusBrussee/caveman) · observed Jul 3, 2026
- License file (MIT) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: Lumos 1.5k · caveman 88k (synced Jul 15, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between Lumos and caveman?
- Lumos: A RAG LLM co-pilot for browsing the web, powered by local LLMs. caveman: Reduce token usage with concise 'caveman'-style prompts.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose Lumos over caveman?
- Choose Lumos over caveman when Lumos is primarily TypeScript; caveman is JavaScript; Tags unique to Lumos: chrome-extension, langchain, langchain-js, llm; Also covers Inference & Serving.
- When should I choose caveman over Lumos?
- Choose caveman over Lumos when caveman is primarily JavaScript; Lumos is TypeScript; Tags unique to caveman: ai, anthropic, caveman, claude code; When you need to significantly cut down on token usage in AI interactions, up to 65%, without losing essential information content.
- When should I avoid Lumos?
- Last GitHub push was 535 days ago (dormant maintenance, Jan 26, 2025). Validate activity before betting a new project on Lumos. Developer Tools: A gateway is overkill when you're pinned to a single provider and model. Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic. LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves.
- When should I avoid caveman?
- When requiring complex and detailed prompts that necessitate more nuanced expression beyond simple, 'caveman'-style sentences. For situations where adherence to formal or specific linguistic structures is mandatory for the task's success.
- Is Lumos or caveman more popular on GitHub?
- caveman has more GitHub stars (87,950 vs 1,515). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are Lumos and caveman open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (Lumos: MIT, caveman: MIT).
- Where can I find alternatives to Lumos or caveman?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at Lumos alternatives and caveman alternatives (Lumos markdown twin, caveman 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, Lumos or caveman?
- Lumos: Dormant. caveman: Active. 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 Lumos and caveman?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: Lumos trust report; caveman trust report.