--- title: "AstrBot vs vela" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/astrbotdevs-astrbot-vs-heider-x-vela" tools: ["astrbotdevs-astrbot", "heider-x-vela"] --- # AstrBot vs vela *GraphCanon updated Jul 15, 2026* ## Verdict Pick AstrBot when astrBot is primarily Python; vela is TypeScript; pick vela when vela is primarily TypeScript; AstrBot is Python. [AstrBot](https://astrbot.app) reports 36k GitHub stars, 2.5k forks, and 1.3k open issues, last pushed Jul 9, 2026. [vela](https://github.com/heider-x/vela) has 458 stars, 122 forks, and 12 open issues, last pushed Jul 13, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [AstrBot's repository](https://github.com/AstrBotDevs/AstrBot) and [vela's repository](https://github.com/heider-x/vela). | | [AstrBot](/tools/astrbotdevs-astrbot.md) | [vela](/tools/heider-x-vela.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | AI Agent Assistant & development framework that integrates lots of IM platforms, LLMs, plugins and AI feature | AI-powered IDE for novel writing, local LLM + RAG, privacy-first, BYOK. For web fiction authors and creative writers. | | Stars | 36,186 | 458 | | Forks | 2,513 | 122 | | Open issues | 1,315 | 12 | | Language | Python | TypeScript | | Adopt for | AstrBot is an AI agent assistant and development framework that integrates multiple instant messaging platforms with various language models and plugins under the AGPL-3.0 license. | - | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 | | Categories | AI Agents, LLM Frameworks | LLM Frameworks | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [AstrBot](/tools/astrbotdevs-astrbot.md) | [vela](/tools/heider-x-vela.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Open issues (now) | 1.3k | 12 | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/astrbotdevs-astrbot/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/heider-x-vela/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: AstrBot - **Adopt for:** AstrBot is an AI agent assistant and development framework that integrates multiple instant messaging platforms with various language models and plugins under the AGPL-3.0 license. ## Choose when ### Choose AstrBot if… - AstrBot is primarily Python; vela is TypeScript. - License: AstrBot is AGPL-3.0, vela is GPL-3.0. - Tags unique to AstrBot: agent, ai, astrbot, chatbot. - Also covers AI Agents. - AstrBot ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - When you require a highly integrative environment where your AI agents can communicate across different instant messaging platforms like Discord, Telegram, QQ, and others. ### Choose vela if… - vela is primarily TypeScript; AstrBot is Python. - License: vela is GPL-3.0, AstrBot is AGPL-3.0. - Tags unique to vela: ai-tool, ai-writing, creative-writing, desktop-app. ## When NOT to use AstrBot - If you are looking for proprietary solutions or do not want to comply with the AGPL-3.0 open-source license requirements, as AstrBot might not suit businesses preferring closed development. - In scenarios where a very streamlined or simple AI agent without extensive plugin and platform customizability is required due to time constraints or a specific project scope that does not need broad, - +adaptability. ## When NOT to use vela - LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between AstrBot and vela? AstrBot: AI Agent Assistant & development framework that integrates lots of IM platforms, LLMs, plugins and AI feature. vela: AI-powered IDE for novel writing, local LLM + RAG, privacy-first, BYOK. For web fiction authors and creative writers.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose AstrBot over vela? Choose AstrBot over vela when AstrBot is primarily Python; vela is TypeScript; License: AstrBot is AGPL-3.0, vela is GPL-3.0; Tags unique to AstrBot: agent, ai, astrbot, chatbot; Also covers AI Agents; AstrBot ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When you require a highly integrative environment where your AI agents can communicate across different instant messaging platforms like Discord, Telegram, QQ, and others. ### When should I choose vela over AstrBot? Choose vela over AstrBot when vela is primarily TypeScript; AstrBot is Python; License: vela is GPL-3.0, AstrBot is AGPL-3.0; Tags unique to vela: ai-tool, ai-writing, creative-writing, desktop-app. ### When should I avoid AstrBot? If you are looking for proprietary solutions or do not want to comply with the AGPL-3.0 open-source license requirements, as AstrBot might not suit businesses preferring closed development. In scenarios where a very streamlined or simple AI agent without extensive plugin and platform customizability is required due to time constraints or a specific project scope that does not need broad, +adaptability. ### When should I avoid vela? LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. ### Is AstrBot or vela more popular on GitHub? AstrBot has more GitHub stars (36,186 vs 458). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are AstrBot and vela open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (AstrBot: AGPL-3.0, vela: GPL-3.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to AstrBot or vela? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [AstrBot alternatives](/tools/astrbotdevs-astrbot/alternatives) and [vela alternatives](/tools/heider-x-vela/alternatives) ([AstrBot markdown twin](/tools/astrbotdevs-astrbot/alternatives.md), [vela markdown twin](/tools/heider-x-vela/alternatives.md)), 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](/compare/astrbotdevs-astrbot-vs-heider-x-vela.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, AstrBot or vela? AstrBot: Very active. vela: Very 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 AstrBot and vela? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [AstrBot trust report](/tools/astrbotdevs-astrbot/trust); [vela trust report](/tools/heider-x-vela/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=astrbotdevs-astrbot`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=astrbotdevs-astrbot) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_