--- title: "ell vs llm.ts" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/madcowd-ell-vs-r2d4-llm-ts" tools: ["madcowd-ell", "r2d4-llm-ts"] --- # ell vs llm.ts *GraphCanon updated Aug 15, 2026* ## Verdict Pick ell if ell is a Python-based language model development library and prompt engineering tool; pick llm.ts if llm.ts is a TypeScript library for interacting with various Large Language Models via a unified API interface. [ell](http://docs.ell.so/) reports 5.9k GitHub stars, 343 forks, and 186 open issues, last pushed Jun 5, 2025. [llm.ts](https://github.com/r2d4/llm.ts) has 214 stars, 9 forks, and 2 open issues, last pushed May 9, 2023. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [ell's repository](https://github.com/MadcowD/ell) and [llm.ts's repository](https://github.com/r2d4/llm.ts). | | [ell](/tools/madcowd-ell.md) | [llm.ts](/tools/r2d4-llm-ts.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | A language model programming library | Call any LLM with a single API. Zero dependencies. | | Stars | 5,869 | 214 | | Forks | 343 | 9 | | Open issues | 186 | 2 | | Language | Python | TypeScript | | Adopt for | ell is a Python-based language model development library and prompt engineering tool. | llm.ts is a TypeScript library for interacting with various Large Language Models via a unified API interface. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT - Permissive free software license | MIT License - permissive license that is short and simple, allowing you to use the software in any project as long as this licensing information is retained | | Categories | LLM Frameworks | LLM Frameworks, Model Training | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [ell](/tools/madcowd-ell.md) | [llm.ts](/tools/r2d4-llm-ts.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 417d | 1193d | | Open issues (now) | 186 | 2 | | Stars delta | Unknown | +1 (30d) | | Open issues delta | Unknown | 0 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/madcowd-ell/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/r2d4-llm-ts/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: ell - **Pricing:** freemium - Free to use under MIT License, with no premium plans mentioned. - **Adopt for:** ell is a Python-based language model development library and prompt engineering tool. - **License detail:** MIT - Permissive free software license ## Decision facts: llm.ts - **Hosting:** unknown - Supports multiple providers including OpenAI, Cohere, and HuggingFace. Can be extended by opening a PR. - **Adopt for:** llm.ts is a TypeScript library for interacting with various Large Language Models via a unified API interface. - **License detail:** MIT License - permissive license that is short and simple, allowing you to use the software in any project as long as this licensing information is retained ## Choose when ### Choose ell if… - ell is primarily Python; llm.ts is TypeScript. - Pricing: Free to use under MIT License, with no premium plans mentioned.. - Tags unique to ell: prompt-engineering. - When you require a dedicated Python framework for developing custom language models and fine-tuning them with specific prompts for your application. ### Choose llm.ts if… - llm.ts is primarily TypeScript; ell is Python. - Supports multiple providers including OpenAI, Cohere, and HuggingFace. Can be extended by opening a PR. - Tags unique to llm.ts: cohere, huggingface, llm, llms. - Also covers Model Training. - You need to interact with multiple LLM providers like OpenAI, Cohere, and HuggingFace through a single API. ## When NOT to use ell - If you prefer JavaScript or other languages over Python, consider alternative frameworks that support the language of your choice. ## When NOT to use llm.ts - If you require functionalities that are specific to one provider that are not yet unified or supported within the llm.ts framework. - For projects that aim to minimize dependencies, though llm.ts itself claims zero dependencies, its reliance on external LLM providers could indirectly introduce complexities. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between ell and llm.ts? ell: A language model programming library. llm.ts: Call any LLM with a single API. Zero dependencies.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose ell over llm.ts? Choose ell over llm.ts when ell is primarily Python; llm.ts is TypeScript; Pricing: Free to use under MIT License, with no premium plans mentioned.; Tags unique to ell: prompt-engineering; When you require a dedicated Python framework for developing custom language models and fine-tuning them with specific prompts for your application. ### When should I choose llm.ts over ell? Choose llm.ts over ell when llm.ts is primarily TypeScript; ell is Python; Supports multiple providers including OpenAI, Cohere, and HuggingFace. Can be extended by opening a PR; Tags unique to llm.ts: cohere, huggingface, llm, llms; Also covers Model Training; You need to interact with multiple LLM providers like OpenAI, Cohere, and HuggingFace through a single API. ### When should I avoid ell? If you prefer JavaScript or other languages over Python, consider alternative frameworks that support the language of your choice. ### When should I avoid llm.ts? If you require functionalities that are specific to one provider that are not yet unified or supported within the llm.ts framework. For projects that aim to minimize dependencies, though llm.ts itself claims zero dependencies, its reliance on external LLM providers could indirectly introduce complexities. ### Is ell or llm.ts more popular on GitHub? ell has more GitHub stars (5,869 vs 214). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are ell and llm.ts open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (ell: MIT, llm.ts: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to ell or llm.ts? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [ell alternatives](/tools/madcowd-ell/alternatives) and [llm.ts alternatives](/tools/r2d4-llm-ts/alternatives) ([ell markdown twin](/tools/madcowd-ell/alternatives.md), [llm.ts markdown twin](/tools/r2d4-llm-ts/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/madcowd-ell-vs-r2d4-llm-ts.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, ell or llm.ts? ell: Dormant. llm.ts: 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 ell and llm.ts? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [ell trust report](/tools/madcowd-ell/trust); [llm.ts trust report](/tools/r2d4-llm-ts/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=madcowd-ell`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=madcowd-ell) - 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/_