Comparison
open-swe vs ax
Verdict
Pick open-swe if open-swe is an open-source asynchronous coding agent that allows customization of components like models, sandboxes, tools, triggers, prompts, and middleware; pick ax if ax is an agent-first toolset for managing observability and memory aimed at AI coding agents like Claude Code and Codex, with a focus on local-first strong typing in TypeScript.
Markdown twin · open-swe alternatives · ax alternatives
GraphCanon updated 1w
Trust & integrity
| Signal | open-swe | ax |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (1d since push) As of 1mo · github_public_v1 | Very active (1d since push) As of 1w · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of 1mo · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Personal account As of 1w · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of 1mo · osv@v1 | No lockfile (source not queried) As of 1mo · 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
- open-swe
- An Open-Source Asynchronous Coding Agent
- ax
- Agent experience layer with observability and memory for AI coding agents.
Stars
- open-swe
- 10k
- ax
- 93
Forks
- open-swe
- 1.2k
- ax
- 9
Open issues
- open-swe
- 24
- ax
- 34
Language
- open-swe
- Python
- ax
- TypeScript
Adopt for
- open-swe
- open-swe is an open-source asynchronous coding agent that allows customization of components like models, sandboxes, tools, triggers, prompts, and middleware.
- ax
- ax is an agent-first toolset for managing observability and memory aimed at AI coding agents like Claude Code and Codex, with a focus on local-first strong typing in TypeScript.
Persona
- open-swe
- -
- ax
- -
Runtime
- open-swe
- -
- ax
- -
License
- open-swe
- MIT
- ax
- AGPL-3.0
Last pushed
- open-swe
- Jul 18, 2026
- ax
- Aug 7, 2026
Categories
- open-swe
- AI Agents, Evaluation & Observability
- ax
- AI Agents, Evaluation & Observability
Trust and health
Open issues (now)
- open-swe
- 24
- ax
- 34
Owner type
- open-swe
- Organization
- ax
- User
Full report
- open-swe
- Trust report
Choose open-swe if…
- open-swe is primarily Python; ax is TypeScript.
- License: open-swe is MIT, ax is AGPL-3.0.
- Tags unique to open-swe: agent, ai, anthropic, claudecode.
- open-swe ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment.
- If you are integrating with Linear/Slack/GitHub workflows specifically as it seems to support these platforms natively.
When NOT to use open-swe
- Not recommended if you require real-time interaction with coding agents instead of asynchronous communication.
- Avoid choosing this tool if your project does not align well with customization options provided or if integration complexity outweighs benefits.
Choose ax if…
- ax is primarily TypeScript; open-swe is Python.
- License: ax is AGPL-3.0, open-swe is MIT.
- Tags unique to ax: agent-memory, agent-observability, ai-agents, bun.
- For projects requiring detailed observability and memory management specific to AI-driven coding agents
When NOT to use ax
- Avoid if seeking a tool agnostic to AI-specific functionalities like those for Claude Code and Codex
- Not recommended when looking for solutions outside local-first approaches in TypeScript environment
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (langchain-ai/open-swe) · observed Jul 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (langchain-ai/open-swe) · observed Jul 20, 2026
- Last push (langchain-ai/open-swe) · observed Jul 18, 2026
- License file (MIT) · observed Jul 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub stars (Necmttn/ax) · observed Aug 9, 2026
- GitHub forks (Necmttn/ax) · observed Aug 9, 2026
- Last push (Necmttn/ax) · observed Aug 7, 2026
- License file (AGPL-3.0) · observed Aug 9, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 16, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: open-swe 10k · ax 93 (synced Jul 20, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between open-swe and ax?
- open-swe: An Open-Source Asynchronous Coding Agent. ax: Agent experience layer with observability and memory for AI coding agents.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose open-swe over ax?
- Choose open-swe over ax when open-swe is primarily Python; ax is TypeScript; License: open-swe is MIT, ax is AGPL-3.0; Tags unique to open-swe: agent, ai, anthropic, claudecode; open-swe ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; If you are integrating with Linear/Slack/GitHub workflows specifically as it seems to support these platforms natively.
- When should I choose ax over open-swe?
- Choose ax over open-swe when ax is primarily TypeScript; open-swe is Python; License: ax is AGPL-3.0, open-swe is MIT; Tags unique to ax: agent-memory, agent-observability, ai-agents, bun; For projects requiring detailed observability and memory management specific to AI-driven coding agents.
- When should I avoid open-swe?
- Not recommended if you require real-time interaction with coding agents instead of asynchronous communication. Avoid choosing this tool if your project does not align well with customization options provided or if integration complexity outweighs benefits.
- When should I avoid ax?
- Avoid if seeking a tool agnostic to AI-specific functionalities like those for Claude Code and Codex Not recommended when looking for solutions outside local-first approaches in TypeScript environment
- Is open-swe or ax more popular on GitHub?
- open-swe has more GitHub stars (10,355 vs 93). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are open-swe and ax open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (open-swe: MIT, ax: AGPL-3.0).
- Where can I find alternatives to open-swe or ax?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at open-swe alternatives and ax alternatives (open-swe markdown twin, ax 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, open-swe or ax?
- open-swe: Very active. ax: 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 open-swe and ax?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: open-swe trust report; ax trust report.