Comparison
langchain vs pmb
Verdict
Pick langchain when license: langchain is MIT, pmb is Apache-2.0; pick pmb when license: pmb is Apache-2.0, langchain is MIT.
Markdown twin · langchain alternatives · pmb alternatives
GraphCanon updated today
Trust & integrity
| Signal | langchain | pmb |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (0d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 | Very active (0d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of today · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Personal account As of today · github_public_v1 |
| Security (OSV) | No lockfile As of today · none | No MCP manifest As of today · mcp_manifest |
Tagline
- langchain
- The agent engineering platform.
- pmb
- Local-first persistent memory for AI coding agents (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex) over MCP. Decisions, lessons and facts live in one SQLite file on your disk. Offline, multilingual.
Stars
- langchain
- 142k
- pmb
- 300
Forks
- langchain
- 24k
- pmb
- 15
Open issues
- langchain
- 419
- pmb
- 5
Language
- langchain
- Python
- pmb
- Python
Adopt for
- langchain
- 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
- pmb
- -
Persona
- langchain
- -
- pmb
- -
Runtime
- langchain
- -
- pmb
- -
License
- langchain
- MIT License, allowing free use for both personal and commercial purposes under its stipulated terms.
- pmb
- Apache-2.0
Last pushed
- langchain
- Jul 11, 2026
- pmb
- Jul 11, 2026
Categories
- langchain
- AI Agents, LLM Frameworks
- pmb
- AI Agents, Vector Databases, LLM Frameworks
Trust and health
Open issues (now)
- langchain
- 419
- pmb
- 5
Owner type
- langchain
- Organization
- pmb
- User
Security scan
- langchain
- No lockfile
- pmb
- No MCP manifest
Full report
- langchain
- Trust report
- pmb
- Trust report
Choose langchain if…
- License: langchain is MIT, pmb 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, gemini, deepagents, generative-ai.
- * When aiming to build complex AI-powered agents or applications requiring high-level capabilities like planning, subagent interaction, and file system operations.
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.
Choose pmb if…
- License: pmb is Apache-2.0, langchain is MIT.
- Tags unique to pmb: codex, ai-memory, knowledge-graph, claude-code.
- Also covers Vector Databases.
When NOT to use pmb
- AI Agents: Don't use an agent loop when a deterministic workflow would do; agents add latency, cost, and non-determinism.
- Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate.
- LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (langchain-ai/langchain) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub forks (langchain-ai/langchain) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Last push (langchain-ai/langchain) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- License file (MIT) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub stars (oleksiijko/pmb) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub forks (oleksiijko/pmb) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Last push (oleksiijko/pmb) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: langchain 142k · pmb 300 (synced Jul 11, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between langchain and pmb?
- langchain: The agent engineering platform.. pmb: Local-first persistent memory for AI coding agents (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex) over MCP. Decisions, lessons and facts live in one SQLite file on your disk. Offline, multilingual.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose langchain over pmb?
- Choose langchain over pmb when License: langchain is MIT, pmb 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, gemini, deepagents, generative-ai; * 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 pmb over langchain?
- Choose pmb over langchain when License: pmb is Apache-2.0, langchain is MIT; Tags unique to pmb: codex, ai-memory, knowledge-graph, claude-code; Also covers Vector Databases.
- 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 pmb?
- AI Agents: Don't use an agent loop when a deterministic workflow would do; agents add latency, cost, and non-determinism. Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate. LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves.
- Is langchain or pmb more popular on GitHub?
- langchain has more GitHub stars (141,504 vs 300). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are langchain and pmb open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (langchain: MIT, pmb: Apache-2.0).
- Where can I find alternatives to langchain or pmb?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at langchain alternatives and pmb alternatives (langchain markdown twin, pmb 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, langchain or pmb?
- langchain: Very active. pmb: 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 langchain and pmb?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: langchain trust report; pmb trust report.