Comparison
sdl-mcp vs caveman
Verdict
Pick sdl-mcp if sDL-MCP is a policy-centered tool designed specifically to improve AI-driven coding tasks by managing contexts more efficiently through technologies such as semantic analysis and tree-sitter; pick caveman if caveman reduces token usage by 65% through minimalistic language for coding agents, supporting two sizes and primarily written in Go.
Markdown twin · sdl-mcp alternatives · caveman alternatives
GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026
6views this month
vs
Trust & integrity
| Signal | sdl-mcp | caveman |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (3d since push) As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Very active (0d since push) As of Sep 18, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Personal account As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Personal account As of Sep 18, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No published findings from this source as of 2026-08-30 As of Aug 30, 2026 · osv@v1 | No published findings from this source as of 2026-09-18 As of Sep 18, 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
- sdl-mcp
- A policy-centered context budget layer for coding agents that enhances code analysis and workflow efficiency.
- caveman
- Reduces token usage by 65% through minimalistic language for coding agents
Stars
- sdl-mcp
- 486
- caveman
- 106k
Forks
- sdl-mcp
- 31
- caveman
- 6.2k
Open issues
- sdl-mcp
- 0
- caveman
- 127
Language
- sdl-mcp
- TypeScript
- caveman
- Go
Adopt for
- sdl-mcp
- SDL-MCP is a policy-centered tool designed specifically to improve AI-driven coding tasks by managing contexts more efficiently through technologies such as semantic analysis and tree-sitter.
- caveman
- Caveman reduces token usage by 65% through minimalistic language for coding agents, supporting two sizes and primarily written in Go.
Persona
- sdl-mcp
- -
- caveman
- -
Runtime
- sdl-mcp
- -
- caveman
- -
License
- sdl-mcp
- Other
- caveman
- Caveman operates under a split license: MIT for the skill, Agent SDK, and initializer, and BSL-1.1 for the engine-linked runtime, which converts to Apache-2.0 by 2030 or four years after shipping.
Last pushed
- sdl-mcp
- Sep 16, 2026
- caveman
- Sep 18, 2026
Categories
- sdl-mcp
- AI Agents, Evaluation & Observability, Model Training
- caveman
- AI Agents, Model Training
Trust and health
Days since push
- sdl-mcp
- 3d
- caveman
- 0d
Open issues (now)
- sdl-mcp
- 0
- caveman
- 127
Stars delta
- sdl-mcp
- +35 (30d)
- caveman
- +8.0k (30d)
Open issues delta
- sdl-mcp
- -1 (30d)
- caveman
- -358 (30d)
OSV dependency advisories
- sdl-mcp
- No published findings from this source as of 2026-08-30
- caveman
- No published findings from this source as of 2026-09-18
Full report
- sdl-mcp
- Trust report
- caveman
- Trust report
Choose sdl-mcp if…
- sdl-mcp is primarily TypeScript; caveman is Go.
- Tags unique to sdl-mcp: agent-context, agent-tools, agentic-coding, agentic-engineering.
- Also covers Evaluation & Observability.
- sdl-mcp ships an MCP server manifest.
- When working with sprawling or complex codebases where maintaining context across multiple files is crucial.
When NOT to use sdl-mcp
- In environments where TypeScript is not a preferred or supported language.
- For tasks that do not benefit from context management layers, such as small-scale projects with straightforward workflows.
- If your project requires real-time response times for every operation since SDL-MCP's focus on semantic analysis and context budgeting can introduce slight delays.
Choose caveman if…
- caveman is primarily Go; sdl-mcp is TypeScript.
- Pricing: The skill, Agent SDK, and initializer are free under MIT license. Hosting Caveman for third parties requires a commercial license..
- Requirements: Min 1 GB RAM; Caveman is primarily written in Go and supports two sizes, allowing for flexible deployment..
- Tags unique to caveman: ai, anthropic, caveman, claude.
- caveman ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment.
- When you need to significantly reduce token usage in coding agents, as Caveman can cut usage by 65% through its simplified language style.
When NOT to use caveman
- If your project requires a fully OSI-approved open-source license, as Caveman's engine-linked runtime is BSL-1.1, which is not OSI-approved until a future date.
- When you need a tool that does not involve a trademarked name and logo, as Caveman is trademarked and has specific guidelines for its use.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (GlitterKill/sdl-mcp) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (GlitterKill/sdl-mcp) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Last push (GlitterKill/sdl-mcp) · observed Sep 16, 2026
- License file (Other) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 12, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Aug 30, 2026
- GitHub stars (JuliusBrussee/caveman) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (JuliusBrussee/caveman) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Last push (JuliusBrussee/caveman) · observed Sep 18, 2026
- License file (Other) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Sep 18, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Sep 18, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: sdl-mcp 486 · caveman 106k (synced Sep 20, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between sdl-mcp and caveman?
- sdl-mcp: A policy-centered context budget layer for coding agents that enhances code analysis and workflow efficiency.. caveman: Reduces token usage by 65% through minimalistic language for coding agents. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose sdl-mcp over caveman?
- Choose sdl-mcp over caveman when sdl-mcp is primarily TypeScript; caveman is Go; Tags unique to sdl-mcp: agent-context, agent-tools, agentic-coding, agentic-engineering; Also covers Evaluation & Observability; sdl-mcp ships an MCP server manifest; When working with sprawling or complex codebases where maintaining context across multiple files is crucial.
- When should I choose caveman over sdl-mcp?
- Choose caveman over sdl-mcp when caveman is primarily Go; sdl-mcp is TypeScript; Pricing: The skill, Agent SDK, and initializer are free under MIT license. Hosting Caveman for third parties requires a commercial license.; Requirements: Min 1 GB RAM; Caveman is primarily written in Go and supports two sizes, allowing for flexible deployment.; Tags unique to caveman: ai, anthropic, caveman, claude; caveman ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When you need to significantly reduce token usage in coding agents, as Caveman can cut usage by 65% through its simplified language style.
- When should I avoid sdl-mcp?
- In environments where TypeScript is not a preferred or supported language. For tasks that do not benefit from context management layers, such as small-scale projects with straightforward workflows. If your project requires real-time response times for every operation since SDL-MCP's focus on semantic analysis and context budgeting can introduce slight delays.
- When should I avoid caveman?
- If your project requires a fully OSI-approved open-source license, as Caveman's engine-linked runtime is BSL-1.1, which is not OSI-approved until a future date. When you need a tool that does not involve a trademarked name and logo, as Caveman is trademarked and has specific guidelines for its use.
- Is sdl-mcp or caveman more popular on GitHub?
- caveman has more GitHub stars (106,401 vs 486). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are sdl-mcp and caveman open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (sdl-mcp: Other, caveman: Other).
- Where can I find alternatives to sdl-mcp or caveman?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at sdl-mcp alternatives and caveman alternatives (sdl-mcp markdown twin, caveman 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, sdl-mcp or caveman?
- sdl-mcp: Very active. caveman: 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 sdl-mcp and caveman?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: sdl-mcp trust report; caveman trust report.