--- title: "conduit vs llm" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/cogwheel0-conduit-vs-simonw-llm" tools: ["cogwheel0-conduit", "simonw-llm"] --- # conduit vs llm *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick conduit if conduit is an open-source mobile application enabling users on iOS and Android to interface with self-hosted AI services via the OpenWebUI API; pick llm if decision-critical facts for 'llm'. [conduit](https://conduit.mobile) reports 2.2k GitHub stars, 219 forks, and 71 open issues, last pushed Sep 17, 2026. [llm](https://llm.datasette.io) has 12k stars, 978 forks, and 689 open issues, last pushed Sep 2, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [conduit's repository](https://github.com/cogwheel0/conduit) and [llm's repository](https://github.com/simonw/llm). | | [conduit](/tools/cogwheel0-conduit.md) | [llm](/tools/simonw-llm.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Mobile client for OpenWebUI | Access large language models from the command-line | | Stars | 2,158 | 12,473 | | Forks | 219 | 978 | | Open issues | 71 | 689 | | Language | Dart | Python | | Adopt for | Conduit is an open-source mobile application enabling users on iOS and Android to interface with self-hosted AI services via the OpenWebUI API. | Decision-critical facts for 'llm' | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | GPL-3.0 License | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks | Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [conduit](/tools/cogwheel0-conduit.md) | [llm](/tools/simonw-llm.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 2d | 4d | | Open issues (now) | 71 | 689 | | Stars delta | +213 (30d) | +149 (30d) | | Open issues delta | +8 (30d) | +25 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/cogwheel0-conduit/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/simonw-llm/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: conduit - **Requirements:** - The application requires a recent Flutter SDK with Dart version 3.9 or newer.; - For building on Android, Java 17 and Android 7.0+ (API level 24) are necessary requirements.; - On iOS, the application supports only devices running iOS 16.0+. Xcode is required for builds. - **Adopt for:** Conduit is an open-source mobile application enabling users on iOS and Android to interface with self-hosted AI services via the OpenWebUI API. - **License detail:** GPL-3.0 License ## Decision facts: llm - **Requirements:** - Installation supports multiple methods including `pip`, Homebrew (with caveats noted), `pipx`, and `uv`.; - Requires an OpenAI API key for certain functionalities. - **Adopt for:** Decision-critical facts for 'llm' - **License detail:** Apache-2.0 ## Choose when ### Choose conduit if… - conduit is primarily Dart; llm is Python. - License: conduit is GPL-3.0, llm is Apache-2.0. - Requirements: - The application requires a recent Flutter SDK with Dart version 3.9 or newer.; - For building on Android, Java 17 and Android 7.0+ (API level 24) are necessary requirements.; - On iOS, the application supports only devices running iOS 16.0+. Xcode is required for builds.. - Tags unique to conduit: mobile, ollama, openwebui, selfhosted. - - You are using a self-hosted AI service compatible with OpenWebUI, OpenAI APIs, or Ollama endpoint, and require a mobile interface for it. ### Choose llm if… - llm is primarily Python; conduit is Dart. - License: llm is Apache-2.0, conduit is GPL-3.0. - Requirements: - Installation supports multiple methods including `pip`, Homebrew (with caveats noted), `pipx`, and `uv`.; - Requires an OpenAI API key for certain functionalities.. - Tags unique to llm: ai, llms, openai. - - You prioritize command-line interaction over graphical interfaces, as llm is designed to provide a seamless CLI experience with multiple installation methods. ## When NOT to use conduit - - If you aim to use proprietary AI services that do not offer OpenAI-compatible APIs or are not compatible with the endpoints supported by Conduit. - - Your development setup does not include Flutter SDK with Dart 3.9 or newer, Java 17 for Android builds, and Xcode or Android Studio. ## When NOT to use llm - - If you require real-time visual feedback or a graphical interface for interacting with language models, as llm is strictly command-line-based. - - If your primary focus is on model training rather than inference or serving, since llm is aimed at accessing and using pre-trained models. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between conduit and llm? conduit: Mobile client for OpenWebUI. llm: Access large language models from the command-line. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose conduit over llm? Choose conduit over llm when conduit is primarily Dart; llm is Python; License: conduit is GPL-3.0, llm is Apache-2.0; Requirements: - The application requires a recent Flutter SDK with Dart version 3.9 or newer.; - For building on Android, Java 17 and Android 7.0+ (API level 24) are necessary requirements.; - On iOS, the application supports only devices running iOS 16.0+. Xcode is required for builds.; Tags unique to conduit: mobile, ollama, openwebui, selfhosted; - You are using a self-hosted AI service compatible with OpenWebUI, OpenAI APIs, or Ollama endpoint, and require a mobile interface for it. ### When should I choose llm over conduit? Choose llm over conduit when llm is primarily Python; conduit is Dart; License: llm is Apache-2.0, conduit is GPL-3.0; Requirements: - Installation supports multiple methods including `pip`, Homebrew (with caveats noted), `pipx`, and `uv`.; - Requires an OpenAI API key for certain functionalities.; Tags unique to llm: ai, llms, openai; - You prioritize command-line interaction over graphical interfaces, as llm is designed to provide a seamless CLI experience with multiple installation methods. ### When should I avoid conduit? - If you aim to use proprietary AI services that do not offer OpenAI-compatible APIs or are not compatible with the endpoints supported by Conduit. - Your development setup does not include Flutter SDK with Dart 3.9 or newer, Java 17 for Android builds, and Xcode or Android Studio. ### When should I avoid llm? - If you require real-time visual feedback or a graphical interface for interacting with language models, as llm is strictly command-line-based. - If your primary focus is on model training rather than inference or serving, since llm is aimed at accessing and using pre-trained models. ### Is conduit or llm more popular on GitHub? llm has more GitHub stars (12,473 vs 2,158). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are conduit and llm open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (conduit: GPL-3.0, llm: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to conduit or llm? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [conduit alternatives](/tools/cogwheel0-conduit/alternatives) and [llm alternatives](/tools/simonw-llm/alternatives) ([conduit markdown twin](/tools/cogwheel0-conduit/alternatives.md), [llm markdown twin](/tools/simonw-llm/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/cogwheel0-conduit-vs-simonw-llm.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, conduit or llm? conduit: Very active. llm: 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 conduit and llm? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [conduit trust report](/tools/cogwheel0-conduit/trust); [llm trust report](/tools/simonw-llm/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=cogwheel0-conduit`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=cogwheel0-conduit) - 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/_