--- title: "codehamr vs qwen-code" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/codehamr-codehamr-vs-qwenlm-qwen-code" tools: ["codehamr-codehamr", "qwenlm-qwen-code"] --- # codehamr vs qwen-code *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick codehamr if codehamr is an AI-based coding assistant tool built to enhance terminal coding productivity, emphasizing minimalism and local processing; pick qwen-code if qwen Code is an open-source AI coding agent that operates directly from the terminal, offering a CLI interface for coding tasks. [codehamr](https://codehamr.com) reports 218 GitHub stars, 19 forks, and 0 open issues, last pushed Sep 19, 2026. [qwen-code](https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs/en/users/overview) has 28k stars, 3.1k forks, and 1.4k open issues, last pushed Sep 18, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [codehamr's repository](https://github.com/codehamr/codehamr) and [qwen-code's repository](https://github.com/QwenLM/qwen-code). | | [codehamr](/tools/codehamr-codehamr.md) | [qwen-code](/tools/qwenlm-qwen-code.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | A minimal, local-first coding agent for the terminal | An open-source AI coding agent that lives in your terminal | | Stars | 218 | 27,946 | | Forks | 19 | 3,062 | | Open issues | 0 | 1,442 | | Language | Go | TypeScript | | Adopt for | Codehamr is an AI-based coding assistant tool built to enhance terminal coding productivity, emphasizing minimalism and local processing. | Qwen Code is an open-source AI coding agent that operates directly from the terminal, offering a CLI interface for coding tasks. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT | Qwen Code is distributed under the Apache-2.0 license, which is permissive and allows for free use, modification, and distribution. | | Categories | AI Agents, Developer Tools | AI Agents, Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [codehamr](/tools/codehamr-codehamr.md) | [qwen-code](/tools/qwenlm-qwen-code.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Open issues (now) | 0 | 1.4k | | Stars delta | +11 (30d) | Unknown | | Open issues delta | 0 (30d) | Unknown | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/codehamr-codehamr/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/qwenlm-qwen-code/trust.md) | **Typed relationship:** codehamr _(alternative)_ qwen-code Qwen Code and CodeHamr are both minimal, local-first coding agents for the terminal, providing similar functionalities for developers. ## Decision facts: codehamr - **Adopt for:** Codehamr is an AI-based coding assistant tool built to enhance terminal coding productivity, emphasizing minimalism and local processing. ## Decision facts: qwen-code - **Pricing:** freemium - Qwen Code is free and open-source, but may have premium features or services that require payment. - **Requirements:** Min 2 GB RAM; Requires Node.js 22+ for npm installation.; Restart terminal after installation to ensure environment variables take effect. - **Adopt for:** Qwen Code is an open-source AI coding agent that operates directly from the terminal, offering a CLI interface for coding tasks. - **License detail:** Qwen Code is distributed under the Apache-2.0 license, which is permissive and allows for free use, modification, and distribution. ## Choose when ### Choose codehamr if… - codehamr is primarily Go; qwen-code is TypeScript. - License: codehamr is MIT, qwen-code is Apache-2.0. - Qwen Code and CodeHamr are both minimal, local-first coding agents for the terminal, providing similar functionalities for developers. - Tags unique to codehamr: ai-agent, local-llm. - If you prefer tools that operate locally without relying on cloud services for their core functionality. ### Choose qwen-code if… - qwen-code is primarily TypeScript; codehamr is Go. - License: qwen-code is Apache-2.0, codehamr is MIT. - Pricing: Qwen Code is free and open-source, but may have premium features or services that require payment.. - Requirements: Min 2 GB RAM; Requires Node.js 22+ for npm installation.; Restart terminal after installation to ensure environment variables take effect.. - Qwen Code and CodeHamr are both minimal, local-first coding agents for the terminal, providing similar functionalities for developers. - Tags unique to qwen-code: agentic, ai-coding, cli, terminal. - When you need an AI coding assistant that integrates seamlessly with your terminal environment. ## When NOT to use codehamr - If your priority is using features provided by larger, more comprehensive AI agents that may require cloud connections. - If you need advanced coding assistance not covered in the minimalistic approach of Codehamr. ## When NOT to use qwen-code - If you require a GUI-based interface for your coding tasks, as Qwen Code is strictly a CLI tool. - When you are working in an environment where TypeScript is not the primary language, as Qwen Code is built with TypeScript. - If you need a proprietary solution with specific enterprise features not covered by open-source licenses. - When you are in a network environment that restricts access to external installation scripts, as Qwen Code requires downloading and running scripts from a remote server. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between codehamr and qwen-code? codehamr: A minimal, local-first coding agent for the terminal. qwen-code: An open-source AI coding agent that lives in your terminal. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose codehamr over qwen-code? Choose codehamr over qwen-code when codehamr is primarily Go; qwen-code is TypeScript; License: codehamr is MIT, qwen-code is Apache-2.0; Qwen Code and CodeHamr are both minimal, local-first coding agents for the terminal, providing similar functionalities for developers; Tags unique to codehamr: ai-agent, local-llm; If you prefer tools that operate locally without relying on cloud services for their core functionality. ### When should I choose qwen-code over codehamr? Choose qwen-code over codehamr when qwen-code is primarily TypeScript; codehamr is Go; License: qwen-code is Apache-2.0, codehamr is MIT; Pricing: Qwen Code is free and open-source, but may have premium features or services that require payment.; Requirements: Min 2 GB RAM; Requires Node.js 22+ for npm installation.; Restart terminal after installation to ensure environment variables take effect.; Qwen Code and CodeHamr are both minimal, local-first coding agents for the terminal, providing similar functionalities for developers; Tags unique to qwen-code: agentic, ai-coding, cli, terminal; When you need an AI coding assistant that integrates seamlessly with your terminal environment. ### When should I avoid codehamr? If your priority is using features provided by larger, more comprehensive AI agents that may require cloud connections. If you need advanced coding assistance not covered in the minimalistic approach of Codehamr. ### When should I avoid qwen-code? If you require a GUI-based interface for your coding tasks, as Qwen Code is strictly a CLI tool. When you are working in an environment where TypeScript is not the primary language, as Qwen Code is built with TypeScript. If you need a proprietary solution with specific enterprise features not covered by open-source licenses. When you are in a network environment that restricts access to external installation scripts, as Qwen Code requires downloading and running scripts from a remote server. ### Is codehamr or qwen-code more popular on GitHub? qwen-code has more GitHub stars (27,946 vs 218). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are codehamr and qwen-code open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (codehamr: MIT, qwen-code: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to codehamr or qwen-code? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [codehamr alternatives](/tools/codehamr-codehamr/alternatives) and [qwen-code alternatives](/tools/qwenlm-qwen-code/alternatives) ([codehamr markdown twin](/tools/codehamr-codehamr/alternatives.md), [qwen-code markdown twin](/tools/qwenlm-qwen-code/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/codehamr-codehamr-vs-qwenlm-qwen-code.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, codehamr or qwen-code? codehamr: Very active. qwen-code: 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 codehamr and qwen-code? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [codehamr trust report](/tools/codehamr-codehamr/trust); [qwen-code trust report](/tools/qwenlm-qwen-code/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=codehamr-codehamr`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=codehamr-codehamr) - 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/_