--- title: "ha-mcp vs caveman" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/homeassistant-ai-ha-mcp-vs-juliusbrussee-caveman" tools: ["homeassistant-ai-ha-mcp", "juliusbrussee-caveman"] --- # ha-mcp vs caveman *GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026* ## Verdict Pick ha-mcp when ha-mcp is primarily Python; caveman is JavaScript; pick caveman when caveman is primarily JavaScript; ha-mcp is Python. [ha-mcp](https://github.com/homeassistant-ai/ha-mcp) reports 3.9k GitHub stars, 156 forks, and 16 open issues, last pushed Jul 10, 2026. [caveman](https://caveman.so/) has 88k stars, 5.1k forks, and 392 open issues, last pushed Jul 3, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [ha-mcp's repository](https://github.com/homeassistant-ai/ha-mcp) and [caveman's repository](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman). | | [ha-mcp](/tools/homeassistant-ai-ha-mcp.md) | [caveman](/tools/juliusbrussee-caveman.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | The Unofficial and Awesome Home Assistant MCP Server | Reduce token usage with concise 'caveman'-style prompts. | | Stars | 3,916 | 87,950 | | Forks | 156 | 5,052 | | Open issues | 16 | 392 | | Language | Python | JavaScript | | Adopt for | - | The **caveman** tool is designed for developers and AI users who aim to optimize their token usage through the generation of more concise prompts, thereby potentially reducing costs and improving efficiency. However, it犺 | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT | MIT | | Categories | Developer Tools, LLM Frameworks | Developer Tools, LLM Frameworks | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [ha-mcp](/tools/homeassistant-ai-ha-mcp.md) | [caveman](/tools/juliusbrussee-caveman.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Active (82%) | | Days since push | 0d | 7d | | Open issues (now) | 16 | 392 | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Security scan | No MCP manifest | No lockfile | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/homeassistant-ai-ha-mcp/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/juliusbrussee-caveman/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: caveman - **Adopt for:** The **caveman** tool is designed for developers and AI users who aim to optimize their token usage through the generation of more concise prompts, thereby potentially reducing costs and improving efficiency. However, it犺 ## Choose when ### Choose ha-mcp if… - ha-mcp is primarily Python; caveman is JavaScript. - Tags unique to ha-mcp: claude, hacs, home-assistant, home-automation. - More recently updated (last pushed Jul 10, 2026). ### Choose caveman if… - caveman is primarily JavaScript; ha-mcp is Python. - Tags unique to caveman: anthropic, caveman, claude-code, prompt-engineering. - When you need to significantly cut down on token usage in AI interactions, up to 65%, without losing essential information content. ## When NOT to use ha-mcp - Developer Tools: A gateway is overkill when you're pinned to a single provider and model. - LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. ## When NOT to use caveman - When requiring complex and detailed prompts that necessitate more nuanced expression beyond simple, 'caveman'-style sentences. - For situations where adherence to formal or specific linguistic structures is mandatory for the task's success. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between ha-mcp and caveman? ha-mcp: The Unofficial and Awesome Home Assistant MCP Server. caveman: Reduce token usage with concise 'caveman'-style prompts.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose ha-mcp over caveman? Choose ha-mcp over caveman when ha-mcp is primarily Python; caveman is JavaScript; Tags unique to ha-mcp: claude, hacs, home-assistant, home-automation; More recently updated (last pushed Jul 10, 2026). ### When should I choose caveman over ha-mcp? Choose caveman over ha-mcp when caveman is primarily JavaScript; ha-mcp is Python; Tags unique to caveman: anthropic, caveman, claude-code, prompt-engineering; When you need to significantly cut down on token usage in AI interactions, up to 65%, without losing essential information content. ### When should I avoid ha-mcp? Developer Tools: A gateway is overkill when you're pinned to a single provider and model. LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. ### When should I avoid caveman? When requiring complex and detailed prompts that necessitate more nuanced expression beyond simple, 'caveman'-style sentences. For situations where adherence to formal or specific linguistic structures is mandatory for the task's success. ### Is ha-mcp or caveman more popular on GitHub? caveman has more GitHub stars (87,950 vs 3,916). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are ha-mcp and caveman open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (ha-mcp: MIT, caveman: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to ha-mcp or caveman? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [ha-mcp alternatives](/tools/homeassistant-ai-ha-mcp/alternatives) and [caveman alternatives](/tools/juliusbrussee-caveman/alternatives) ([ha-mcp markdown twin](/tools/homeassistant-ai-ha-mcp/alternatives.md), [caveman markdown twin](/tools/juliusbrussee-caveman/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/homeassistant-ai-ha-mcp-vs-juliusbrussee-caveman.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, ha-mcp or caveman? ha-mcp: Very active. caveman: 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 ha-mcp and caveman? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [ha-mcp trust report](/tools/homeassistant-ai-ha-mcp/trust); [caveman trust report](/tools/juliusbrussee-caveman/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=homeassistant-ai-ha-mcp`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=homeassistant-ai-ha-mcp) - 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/_