--- title: "langchain vs BELLE" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/langchain-ai-langchain-vs-lianjiatech-belle" tools: ["langchain-ai-langchain", "lianjiatech-belle"] --- # langchain vs BELLE *GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026* ## Verdict Pick langchain when langchain is primarily Python; BELLE is HTML; pick BELLE when bELLE is primarily HTML; langchain is Python. [langchain](https://docs.langchain.com/langchain/) reports 142k GitHub stars, 24k forks, and 419 open issues, last pushed Jul 11, 2026. [BELLE](https://github.com/LianjiaTech/BELLE) has 8.3k stars, 760 forks, and 106 open issues, last pushed Oct 16, 2024. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [langchain's repository](https://github.com/langchain-ai/langchain) and [BELLE's repository](https://github.com/LianjiaTech/BELLE). | | [langchain](/tools/langchain-ai-langchain.md) | [BELLE](/tools/lianjiatech-belle.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | The agent engineering platform. | BELLE: Be Everyone's Large Language model Engine（开源中文对话大模型） | | Stars | 141,504 | 8,274 | | Forks | 23,516 | 760 | | Open issues | 419 | 106 | | Language | Python | HTML | | Adopt for | LangChain is an open-source platform designed specifically for building agents and applications that leverage large language models (LLMs). It provides a standard framework to develop interoperable components and connect | - | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT License, allowing free use for both personal and commercial purposes under its stipulated terms. | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | AI Agents, LLM Frameworks | AI Agents, LLM Frameworks, Model Training | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [langchain](/tools/langchain-ai-langchain.md) | [BELLE](/tools/lianjiatech-belle.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Dormant (18%) | | Days since push | 0d | 633d | | Open issues (now) | 419 | 106 | | Security scan | No lockfile | No criticals | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/langchain-ai-langchain/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/lianjiatech-belle/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: langchain - **Pricing:** freemium - LangChain itself is open-source and free to use. However, it might rely on paid services or premium models from external platforms like OpenAI. - **Adopt for:** LangChain is an open-source platform designed specifically for building agents and applications that leverage large language models (LLMs). It provides a standard framework to develop interoperable components and connect - **License detail:** MIT License, allowing free use for both personal and commercial purposes under its stipulated terms. ## Choose when ### Choose langchain if… - langchain is primarily Python; BELLE is HTML. - License: langchain is MIT, BELLE is Apache-2.0. - Pricing: LangChain itself is open-source and free to use. However, it might rely on paid services or premium models from external platforms like OpenAI.. - Tags unique to langchain: agents, ai-agents, anthropic, chatgpt. - * When aiming to build complex AI-powered agents or applications requiring high-level capabilities like planning, subagent interaction, and file system operations. ### Choose BELLE if… - BELLE is primarily HTML; langchain is Python. - License: BELLE is Apache-2.0, langchain is MIT. - Tags unique to BELLE: bloom, chinese-nlp, gpt-evaluation, gpt-q. - Also covers Model Training. ## When NOT to use langchain - * When working on smaller, less complex projects where full-scale integration with sophisticated components is not necessary as LangChain's extensive features might introduce unnecessary complexity. - * If you are primarily focused on JavaScript or TypeScript development as the primary focus of LangChain is Python. Although there is a JS/TS equivalent (LangChain.js), it may not offer the same depth - * For projects requiring heavy customization at lower levels, where a more granular control over individual components is required rather than working with an integrated framework. ## When NOT to use BELLE - Last GitHub push was 634 days ago (dormant maintenance, Oct 16, 2024). Validate activity before betting a new project on BELLE. - AI Agents: Don't use an agent loop when a deterministic workflow would do; agents add latency, cost, and non-determinism. - LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. - Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between langchain and BELLE? langchain: The agent engineering platform.. BELLE: BELLE: Be Everyone's Large Language model Engine（开源中文对话大模型）. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose langchain over BELLE? Choose langchain over BELLE when langchain is primarily Python; BELLE is HTML; License: langchain is MIT, BELLE is Apache-2.0; Pricing: LangChain itself is open-source and free to use. However, it might rely on paid services or premium models from external platforms like OpenAI.; Tags unique to langchain: agents, ai-agents, anthropic, chatgpt; * When aiming to build complex AI-powered agents or applications requiring high-level capabilities like planning, subagent interaction, and file system operations. ### When should I choose BELLE over langchain? Choose BELLE over langchain when BELLE is primarily HTML; langchain is Python; License: BELLE is Apache-2.0, langchain is MIT; Tags unique to BELLE: bloom, chinese-nlp, gpt-evaluation, gpt-q; Also covers Model Training. ### When should I avoid langchain? * When working on smaller, less complex projects where full-scale integration with sophisticated components is not necessary as LangChain's extensive features might introduce unnecessary complexity. * If you are primarily focused on JavaScript or TypeScript development as the primary focus of LangChain is Python. Although there is a JS/TS equivalent (LangChain.js), it may not offer the same depth * For projects requiring heavy customization at lower levels, where a more granular control over individual components is required rather than working with an integrated framework. ### When should I avoid BELLE? Last GitHub push was 634 days ago (dormant maintenance, Oct 16, 2024). Validate activity before betting a new project on BELLE. AI Agents: Don't use an agent loop when a deterministic workflow would do; agents add latency, cost, and non-determinism. LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge. ### Is langchain or BELLE more popular on GitHub? langchain has more GitHub stars (141,504 vs 8,274). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are langchain and BELLE open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (langchain: MIT, BELLE: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to langchain or BELLE? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [langchain alternatives](/tools/langchain-ai-langchain/alternatives) and [BELLE alternatives](/tools/lianjiatech-belle/alternatives) ([langchain markdown twin](/tools/langchain-ai-langchain/alternatives.md), [BELLE markdown twin](/tools/lianjiatech-belle/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/langchain-ai-langchain-vs-lianjiatech-belle.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, langchain or BELLE? langchain: Very active. BELLE: Dormant. 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 langchain and BELLE? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [langchain trust report](/tools/langchain-ai-langchain/trust); [BELLE trust report](/tools/lianjiatech-belle/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=langchain-ai-langchain`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=langchain-ai-langchain) - 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/_