Comparison
workflow vs chief
Verdict
Pick workflow if core package for defining and running durable workflows in PHP with support for long-running tasks, retries, queue management, parallel execution, workflow monitoring, and orchestration; pick chief if chief uses Claude API for automation in project task completion.
Markdown twin · workflow alternatives · chief alternatives
GraphCanon updated Aug 12, 2026
13views this month
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Trust & integrity
| Signal | workflow | chief |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (1d since push) As of Aug 11, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Steady (76d since push) As of Aug 12, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of Aug 11, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Personal account As of Aug 12, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of Jul 15, 2026 · osv@v1 | No lockfile (source not queried) As of Jul 15, 2026 · osv@v1 |
| deps.dev advisories | Not queried deps.dev@v1 | Not queried deps.dev@v1 |
| OpenSSF Scorecard | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 |
Tagline
- workflow
- Core package for defining and running durable workflows including support for long-running tasks, retries, queue management, parallel execution, workflow monitoring, and orchestration.
- chief
- Automation tool for building projects with Claude
Stars
- workflow
- 1.2k
- chief
- 472
Forks
- workflow
- 72
- chief
- 49
Open issues
- workflow
- 0
- chief
- 26
Language
- workflow
- PHP
- chief
- Go
Adopt for
- workflow
- Core package for defining and running durable workflows in PHP with support for long-running tasks, retries, queue management, parallel execution, workflow monitoring, and orchestration.
- chief
- Chief uses Claude API for automation in project task completion.
Persona
- workflow
- -
- chief
- -
Runtime
- workflow
- -
- chief
- -
License
- workflow
- MIT
- chief
- MIT
Last pushed
- workflow
- Aug 9, 2026
- chief
- May 28, 2026
Categories
- workflow
- Developer Tools
- chief
- Developer Tools
Trust and health
Maintenance
- workflow
- Very active (96%)
- chief
- Steady (60%)
Days since push
- workflow
- 1d
- chief
- 76d
Open issues (now)
- workflow
- 0
- chief
- 26
Owner type
- workflow
- Organization
- chief
- User
Full report
- workflow
- Trust report
- chief
- Trust report
Choose workflow if…
- workflow is primarily PHP; chief is Go.
- Tags unique to workflow: background-jobs, bpm, bpmn, durable-functions.
- When your project requires handling long_running persistent workflows in PHP
When NOT to use workflow
- If you prefer tools not anchored in PHP for workflow management
- When project requirements do not include orchestration capabilities for microservices or sagas
- For simpler workflows that do not require advanced retry mechanisms and parallel execution features
Choose chief if…
- chief is primarily Go; workflow is PHP.
- Tags unique to chief: ai, automation, claude-code, cli.
- When you aim to leverage Claude's capabilities specifically for automating and completing project tasks.
When NOT to use chief
- Avoid if your project requirements do not align with Claude API functionalities, as Chief's automation loops are Claude-specific.
- Not suitable for teams preferring tools built with languages other than Go or without a need for TUI support.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (durable-workflow/workflow) · observed Aug 11, 2026
- GitHub forks (durable-workflow/workflow) · observed Aug 11, 2026
- Last push (durable-workflow/workflow) · observed Aug 9, 2026
- License file (MIT) · observed Aug 11, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 16, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- GitHub stars (MiniCodeMonkey/chief) · observed Aug 12, 2026
- GitHub forks (MiniCodeMonkey/chief) · observed Aug 12, 2026
- Last push (MiniCodeMonkey/chief) · observed May 28, 2026
- License file (MIT) · observed Aug 12, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 17, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: workflow 1.2k · chief 472 (synced Aug 11, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between workflow and chief?
- workflow: Core package for defining and running durable workflows including support for long-running tasks, retries, queue management, parallel execution, workflow monitoring, and orchestration.. chief: Automation tool for building projects with Claude. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose workflow over chief?
- Choose workflow over chief when workflow is primarily PHP; chief is Go; Tags unique to workflow: background-jobs, bpm, bpmn, durable-functions; When your project requires handling long_running persistent workflows in PHP.
- When should I choose chief over workflow?
- Choose chief over workflow when chief is primarily Go; workflow is PHP; Tags unique to chief: ai, automation, claude-code, cli; When you aim to leverage Claude's capabilities specifically for automating and completing project tasks.
- When should I avoid workflow?
- If you prefer tools not anchored in PHP for workflow management When project requirements do not include orchestration capabilities for microservices or sagas For simpler workflows that do not require advanced retry mechanisms and parallel execution features
- When should I avoid chief?
- Avoid if your project requirements do not align with Claude API functionalities, as Chief's automation loops are Claude-specific. Not suitable for teams preferring tools built with languages other than Go or without a need for TUI support.
- Is workflow or chief more popular on GitHub?
- workflow has more GitHub stars (1,231 vs 472). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are workflow and chief open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (workflow: MIT, chief: MIT).
- Where can I find alternatives to workflow or chief?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at workflow alternatives and chief alternatives (workflow markdown twin, chief 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, workflow or chief?
- workflow: Very active. chief: Steady. 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 workflow and chief?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: workflow trust report; chief trust report.