--- title: "just-chat vs agents-from-scratch" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/longevity-genie-just-chat-vs-pguso-agents-from-scratch" tools: ["longevity-genie-just-chat", "pguso-agents-from-scratch"] --- # just-chat vs agents-from-scratch *GraphCanon updated Aug 12, 2026* ## Verdict Pick just-chat if just-chat is a Python framework for setting up an LLM-based AI agent using Docker or Podman for quick chat interactions. It supports customization and provides detailed installation instructions; pick agents-from-scratch if agents-from-scratch is for those who want absolute control over their AI agent development using only local resources and Python, focusing on deep learning without relying on. [just-chat](https://github.com/longevity-genie/just-chat) reports 74 GitHub stars, 13 forks, and 2 open issues, last pushed Nov 22, 2025. [agents-from-scratch](https://github.com/pguso/agents-from-scratch) has 954 stars, 240 forks, and 3 open issues, last pushed Jul 25, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [just-chat's repository](https://github.com/longevity-genie/just-chat) and [agents-from-scratch's repository](https://github.com/pguso/agents-from-scratch). | | [just-chat](/tools/longevity-genie-just-chat.md) | [agents-from-scratch](/tools/pguso-agents-from-scratch.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Make your LLM agent and chat with it simple and fast! | Build AI agents locally without relying on frameworks or cloud APIs. | | Stars | 74 | 954 | | Forks | 13 | 240 | | Open issues | 2 | 3 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | just-chat is a Python framework for setting up an LLM-based AI agent using Docker or Podman for quick chat interactions. It supports customization and provides detailed installation instructions. | agents-from-scratch is for those who want absolute control over their AI agent development using only local resources and Python, focusing on deep learning without relying on external frameworks or cloud dependencies. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Apache-2.0 | MIT License: Permissive licensing allowing free use and distribution for both commercial and non-commercial purposes. | | Categories | AI Agents, Developer Tools | AI Agents, Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [just-chat](/tools/longevity-genie-just-chat.md) | [agents-from-scratch](/tools/pguso-agents-from-scratch.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Slowing (36%) | Active (82%) | | Days since push | 258d | 18d | | Open issues (now) | 2 | 3 | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/longevity-genie-just-chat/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/pguso-agents-from-scratch/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: just-chat - **Adopt for:** just-chat is a Python framework for setting up an LLM-based AI agent using Docker or Podman for quick chat interactions. It supports customization and provides detailed installation instructions. ## Decision facts: agents-from-scratch - **Requirements:** Min 8 GB RAM; Local large language model availability is critical as the tool does not utilize any cloud APIs. - **Adopt for:** agents-from-scratch is for those who want absolute control over their AI agent development using only local resources and Python, focusing on deep learning without relying on external frameworks or cloud dependencies. - **License detail:** MIT License: Permissive licensing allowing free use and distribution for both commercial and non-commercial purposes. ## Choose when ### Choose just-chat if… - License: just-chat is Apache-2.0, agents-from-scratch is MIT. - Tags unique to just-chat: chatbot, docker composition, llm-agent, podman support. - just-chat ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - When you need to quickly set up and interact with an LLM-based AI agent without extensive configuration. ### Choose agents-from-scratch if… - License: agents-from-scratch is MIT, just-chat is Apache-2.0. - Requirements: Min 8 GB RAM; Local large language model availability is critical as the tool does not utilize any cloud APIs.. - Tags unique to agents-from-scratch: agent-architecture, ai-agents, llm, local-llm. - You plan to teach yourself or others about the fundamentals of creating AI agents from ground zero with complete transparency into each layer of architecture. ## When NOT to use just-chat - If your workflow does not support Docker or Podman, as these are the only supported deployment environments. - When you are using Ubuntu 22.04 with the default Podman version (v3), which requires manual installation since it is not fully compatible with just-chat's setup. ## When NOT to use agents-from-scratch - You are working on an application that needs to be deployed quickly. The tool's approach from first principles can be time-consuming compared to using established frameworks. - If you need scalability or cloud capabilities such as easy scaling with demand, this tool will not provide these features since it strictly operates on local infrastructure. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between just-chat and agents-from-scratch? just-chat: Make your LLM agent and chat with it simple and fast!. agents-from-scratch: Build AI agents locally without relying on frameworks or cloud APIs.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose just-chat over agents-from-scratch? Choose just-chat over agents-from-scratch when License: just-chat is Apache-2.0, agents-from-scratch is MIT; Tags unique to just-chat: chatbot, docker composition, llm-agent, podman support; just-chat ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When you need to quickly set up and interact with an LLM-based AI agent without extensive configuration. ### When should I choose agents-from-scratch over just-chat? Choose agents-from-scratch over just-chat when License: agents-from-scratch is MIT, just-chat is Apache-2.0; Requirements: Min 8 GB RAM; Local large language model availability is critical as the tool does not utilize any cloud APIs.; Tags unique to agents-from-scratch: agent-architecture, ai-agents, llm, local-llm; You plan to teach yourself or others about the fundamentals of creating AI agents from ground zero with complete transparency into each layer of architecture. ### When should I avoid just-chat? If your workflow does not support Docker or Podman, as these are the only supported deployment environments. When you are using Ubuntu 22.04 with the default Podman version (v3), which requires manual installation since it is not fully compatible with just-chat's setup. ### When should I avoid agents-from-scratch? You are working on an application that needs to be deployed quickly. The tool's approach from first principles can be time-consuming compared to using established frameworks. If you need scalability or cloud capabilities such as easy scaling with demand, this tool will not provide these features since it strictly operates on local infrastructure. ### Is just-chat or agents-from-scratch more popular on GitHub? agents-from-scratch has more GitHub stars (954 vs 74). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are just-chat and agents-from-scratch open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (just-chat: Apache-2.0, agents-from-scratch: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to just-chat or agents-from-scratch? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [just-chat alternatives](/tools/longevity-genie-just-chat/alternatives) and [agents-from-scratch alternatives](/tools/pguso-agents-from-scratch/alternatives) ([just-chat markdown twin](/tools/longevity-genie-just-chat/alternatives.md), [agents-from-scratch markdown twin](/tools/pguso-agents-from-scratch/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/longevity-genie-just-chat-vs-pguso-agents-from-scratch.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, just-chat or agents-from-scratch? just-chat: Slowing. agents-from-scratch: 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 just-chat and agents-from-scratch? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [just-chat trust report](/tools/longevity-genie-just-chat/trust); [agents-from-scratch trust report](/tools/pguso-agents-from-scratch/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=longevity-genie-just-chat`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=longevity-genie-just-chat) - 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/_