--- title: "langchain vs ell" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/brainlid-langchain-vs-madcowd-ell" tools: ["brainlid-langchain", "madcowd-ell"] --- # langchain vs ell *GraphCanon updated Aug 8, 2026* ## Verdict Pick langchain if langChain framework tailored for Elixir projects; pick ell if ell is a Python-based language model development library and prompt engineering tool. [langchain](https://hexdocs.pm/langchain/) reports 1.2k GitHub stars, 212 forks, and 30 open issues, last pushed Aug 6, 2026. [ell](http://docs.ell.so/) has 5.9k stars, 343 forks, and 186 open issues, last pushed Jun 5, 2025. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [langchain's repository](https://github.com/brainlid/langchain) and [ell's repository](https://github.com/MadcowD/ell). | | [langchain](/tools/brainlid-langchain.md) | [ell](/tools/madcowd-ell.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Elixir implementation of a LangChain style framework for integrating with and leveraging LLMs. | A language model programming library | | Stars | 1,192 | 5,869 | | Forks | 212 | 343 | | Open issues | 30 | 186 | | Language | Elixir | Python | | Adopt for | LangChain framework tailored for Elixir projects | ell is a Python-based language model development library and prompt engineering tool. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Other | MIT - Permissive free software license | | Categories | LLM Frameworks | LLM Frameworks | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [langchain](/tools/brainlid-langchain.md) | [ell](/tools/madcowd-ell.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Dormant (18%) | | Days since push | 1d | 417d | | Open issues (now) | 30 | 186 | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/brainlid-langchain/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/madcowd-ell/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: langchain - **Requirements:** Requires at least Elixir 1.17; Add `langchain` to dep list in `mix.exs` for installation - **Adopt for:** LangChain framework tailored for Elixir projects ## Decision facts: ell - **Pricing:** freemium - Free to use under MIT License, with no premium plans mentioned. - **Adopt for:** ell is a Python-based language model development library and prompt engineering tool. - **License detail:** MIT - Permissive free software license ## Choose when ### Choose langchain if… - langchain is primarily Elixir; ell is Python. - License: langchain is Other, ell is MIT. - Requirements: Requires at least Elixir 1.17; Add `langchain` to dep list in `mix.exs` for installation. - Tags unique to langchain: anthropic, bumblebee, chatgpt, claude-ai. - You are working on an Elixir project and want to integrate advanced Language Model capabilities. ### Choose ell if… - ell is primarily Python; langchain is Elixir. - License: ell is MIT, langchain is Other. - Pricing: Free to use under MIT License, with no premium plans mentioned.. - Tags unique to ell: prompt-engineering. - When you require a dedicated Python framework for developing custom language models and fine-tuning them with specific prompts for your application. ## When NOT to use langchain - Your project is not written in Elixir, as this framework does not offer official support for other programming languages. - If your requirements mandate a non-Elixir environment or dependency ecosystem, such as Python which has more mature LLM frameworks. ## When NOT to use ell - If you prefer JavaScript or other languages over Python, consider alternative frameworks that support the language of your choice. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between langchain and ell? langchain: Elixir implementation of a LangChain style framework for integrating with and leveraging LLMs.. ell: A language model programming library. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose langchain over ell? Choose langchain over ell when langchain is primarily Elixir; ell is Python; License: langchain is Other, ell is MIT; Requirements: Requires at least Elixir 1.17; Add `langchain` to dep list in `mix.exs` for installation; Tags unique to langchain: anthropic, bumblebee, chatgpt, claude-ai; You are working on an Elixir project and want to integrate advanced Language Model capabilities. ### When should I choose ell over langchain? Choose ell over langchain when ell is primarily Python; langchain is Elixir; License: ell is MIT, langchain is Other; Pricing: Free to use under MIT License, with no premium plans mentioned.; Tags unique to ell: prompt-engineering; When you require a dedicated Python framework for developing custom language models and fine-tuning them with specific prompts for your application. ### When should I avoid langchain? Your project is not written in Elixir, as this framework does not offer official support for other programming languages. If your requirements mandate a non-Elixir environment or dependency ecosystem, such as Python which has more mature LLM frameworks. ### When should I avoid ell? If you prefer JavaScript or other languages over Python, consider alternative frameworks that support the language of your choice. ### Is langchain or ell more popular on GitHub? ell has more GitHub stars (5,869 vs 1,192). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are langchain and ell open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (langchain: Other, ell: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to langchain or ell? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [langchain alternatives](/tools/brainlid-langchain/alternatives) and [ell alternatives](/tools/madcowd-ell/alternatives) ([langchain markdown twin](/tools/brainlid-langchain/alternatives.md), [ell markdown twin](/tools/madcowd-ell/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/brainlid-langchain-vs-madcowd-ell.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, langchain or ell? langchain: 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 langchain and ell? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [langchain trust report](/tools/brainlid-langchain/trust); [ell trust report](/tools/madcowd-ell/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=brainlid-langchain`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=brainlid-langchain) - 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/_