Comparison
crane vs anything-llm
Verdict
Pick crane if crane is a Go-based tool for container orchestration that simplifies managing Docker containers; pick anything-llm if anything-llm is a self-hosted AI agent platform that supports multiple deployment methods, including Docker and cloud services, making it suitable for users who prefer local control over their AI workflows.
Markdown twin · crane alternatives · anything-llm alternatives
GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026
Trust & integrity
| Signal | crane | anything-llm |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Dormant (1152d since push) As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Very active (0d since push) As of Sep 18, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Personal account As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Organization account As of Sep 18, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of Jul 15, 2026 · osv@v1 | No lockfile (source not queried) As of Sep 18, 2026 · 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
- crane
- Crane - Lift containers with ease
- anything-llm
- Self-hosted AI agent experience
Stars
- crane
- 993
- anything-llm
- 66k
Forks
- crane
- 61
- anything-llm
- 7.3k
Open issues
- crane
- 14
- anything-llm
- 315
Language
- crane
- Go
- anything-llm
- JavaScript
Adopt for
- crane
- Crane is a Go-based tool for container orchestration that simplifies managing Docker containers.
- anything-llm
- anything-llm is a self-hosted AI agent platform that supports multiple deployment methods, including Docker and cloud services, making it suitable for users who prefer local control over their AI workflows.
Persona
- crane
- -
- anything-llm
- -
Runtime
- crane
- -
- anything-llm
- -
License
- crane
- MIT
- anything-llm
- MIT License, allowing for free use, modification, and distribution.
Last pushed
- crane
- Jul 25, 2023
- anything-llm
- Sep 17, 2026
Categories
- crane
- Developer Tools
- anything-llm
- AI Agents, Developer Tools, Inference & Serving
Trust and health
Maintenance
- crane
- Dormant (18%)
- anything-llm
- Very active (96%)
Days since push
- crane
- 1152d
- anything-llm
- 0d
Open issues (now)
- crane
- 14
- anything-llm
- 315
Stars delta
- crane
- +5 (30d)
- anything-llm
- +1.5k (30d)
Open issues delta
- crane
- 0 (30d)
- anything-llm
- -4 (30d)
Owner type
- crane
- User
- anything-llm
- Organization
Full report
- crane
- Trust report
- anything-llm
- Trust report
Choose crane if…
- crane is primarily Go; anything-llm is JavaScript.
- Tags unique to crane: docker, go, orchestration.
- Use Crane when you are working with Go and require an efficient way to manage multiple Docker containers within your projects.
When NOT to use crane
- Avoid using Crane if your project does not involve or need management of Docker containers through a Go-based application.
- Do not use Crane when your primary development language is not Go and you are looking for more general-purpose container orchestration solutions with broader support.
Choose anything-llm if…
- anything-llm is primarily JavaScript; crane is Go.
- Pricing: Free to use under the MIT License, but users may incur costs based on their chosen deployment method and infrastructure..
- Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Requires a local environment setup or a cloud service account for deployment..
- Tags unique to anything-llm: agent-computer, agent-harness, agent-orchestration, agentic-ai.
- Also covers AI Agents, Inference & Serving.
- When you need a local-first AI agent experience that you can fully control and customize.
When NOT to use anything-llm
- If you require a cloud-based solution with minimal setup and maintenance, as anything-llm requires self-hosting and local management.
- When you need a platform that does not offer extensive deployment flexibility, as anything-llm provides multiple deployment options which might be overwhelming for users seeking simplicity.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (michaelsauter/crane) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (michaelsauter/crane) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Last push (michaelsauter/crane) · observed Jul 25, 2023
- License file (MIT) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 17, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- GitHub stars (Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Last push (Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm) · observed Sep 17, 2026
- License file (MIT) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Sep 18, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Sep 18, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: crane 993 · anything-llm 66k (synced Sep 20, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between crane and anything-llm?
- crane: Crane - Lift containers with ease. anything-llm: Self-hosted AI agent experience. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose crane over anything-llm?
- Choose crane over anything-llm when crane is primarily Go; anything-llm is JavaScript; Tags unique to crane: docker, go, orchestration; Use Crane when you are working with Go and require an efficient way to manage multiple Docker containers within your projects.
- When should I choose anything-llm over crane?
- Choose anything-llm over crane when anything-llm is primarily JavaScript; crane is Go; Pricing: Free to use under the MIT License, but users may incur costs based on their chosen deployment method and infrastructure.; Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Requires a local environment setup or a cloud service account for deployment.; Tags unique to anything-llm: agent-computer, agent-harness, agent-orchestration, agentic-ai; Also covers AI Agents, Inference & Serving; When you need a local-first AI agent experience that you can fully control and customize.
- When should I avoid crane?
- Avoid using Crane if your project does not involve or need management of Docker containers through a Go-based application. Do not use Crane when your primary development language is not Go and you are looking for more general-purpose container orchestration solutions with broader support.
- When should I avoid anything-llm?
- If you require a cloud-based solution with minimal setup and maintenance, as anything-llm requires self-hosting and local management. When you need a platform that does not offer extensive deployment flexibility, as anything-llm provides multiple deployment options which might be overwhelming for users seeking simplicity.
- Is crane or anything-llm more popular on GitHub?
- anything-llm has more GitHub stars (66,167 vs 993). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are crane and anything-llm open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (crane: MIT, anything-llm: MIT).
- Where can I find alternatives to crane or anything-llm?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at crane alternatives and anything-llm alternatives (crane markdown twin, anything-llm 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, crane or anything-llm?
- crane: Dormant. anything-llm: 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 crane and anything-llm?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: crane trust report; anything-llm trust report.