Comparison
AstrBot vs ell
Verdict
Pick AstrBot when license: AstrBot is AGPL-3.0, ell is MIT; pick ell when license: ell is MIT, AstrBot is AGPL-3.0.
Markdown twin · AstrBot alternatives · ell alternatives
GraphCanon updated today
Trust & integrity
| Signal | AstrBot | ell |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (2d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 | Dormant (400d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of today · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Personal account As of today · github_public_v1 |
| Security (OSV) | No MCP manifest As of today · mcp_manifest | No lockfile As of today · none |
Tagline
- AstrBot
- AI Agent Assistant & development framework that integrates lots of IM platforms, LLMs, plugins and AI feature
- ell
- A language model programming library.
Stars
- AstrBot
- 36k
- ell
- 5.9k
Forks
- AstrBot
- 2.5k
- ell
- 344
Open issues
- AstrBot
- 1.3k
- ell
- 186
Language
- AstrBot
- Python
- ell
- Python
Adopt for
- AstrBot
- 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.
- ell
- -
Persona
- AstrBot
- -
- ell
- -
Runtime
- AstrBot
- -
- ell
- -
License
- AstrBot
- AGPL-3.0
- ell
- MIT
Last pushed
- AstrBot
- Jul 9, 2026
- ell
- Jun 5, 2025
Categories
- AstrBot
- LLM Frameworks, AI Agents
- ell
- LLM Frameworks
Trust and health
Maintenance
- AstrBot
- Very active (96%)
- ell
- Dormant (18%)
Days since push
- AstrBot
- 2d
- ell
- 400d
Open issues (now)
- AstrBot
- 1.3k
- ell
- 186
Owner type
- AstrBot
- Organization
- ell
- User
Security scan
- AstrBot
- No MCP manifest
- ell
- No lockfile
Full report
- AstrBot
- Trust report
- ell
- Trust report
Choose AstrBot if…
- License: AstrBot is AGPL-3.0, ell is MIT.
- Tags unique to AstrBot: gemini, docker, discord, gpt.
- 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 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.
Choose ell if…
- License: ell is MIT, AstrBot is AGPL-3.0.
- Tags unique to ell: python, prompt-engineering.
- Leaner open-issue backlog (186).
When NOT to use ell
- Last GitHub push was 401 days ago (dormant maintenance, Jun 5, 2025). Validate activity before betting a new project on ell.
- LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (AstrBotDevs/AstrBot) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub forks (AstrBotDevs/AstrBot) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Last push (AstrBotDevs/AstrBot) · observed Jul 9, 2026
- License file (AGPL-3.0) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub stars (MadcowD/ell) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub forks (MadcowD/ell) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Last push (MadcowD/ell) · observed Jun 5, 2025
- License file (MIT) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: AstrBot 36k · ell 5.9k (synced Jul 11, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between AstrBot and ell?
- AstrBot: AI Agent Assistant & development framework that integrates lots of IM platforms, LLMs, plugins and AI feature. ell: A language model programming library.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose AstrBot over ell?
- Choose AstrBot over ell when License: AstrBot is AGPL-3.0, ell is MIT; Tags unique to AstrBot: gemini, docker, discord, gpt; 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 ell over AstrBot?
- Choose ell over AstrBot when License: ell is MIT, AstrBot is AGPL-3.0; Tags unique to ell: python, prompt-engineering; Leaner open-issue backlog (186).
- 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 ell?
- Last GitHub push was 401 days ago (dormant maintenance, Jun 5, 2025). Validate activity before betting a new project on ell. LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves.
- Is AstrBot or ell more popular on GitHub?
- AstrBot has more GitHub stars (36,186 vs 5,876). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are AstrBot and ell open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (AstrBot: AGPL-3.0, ell: MIT).
- Where can I find alternatives to AstrBot or ell?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at AstrBot alternatives and ell alternatives (AstrBot markdown twin, ell 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, AstrBot or ell?
- AstrBot: Very active. ell: Dormant. 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 ell?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: AstrBot trust report; ell trust report.