Comparison
crane vs anything-llm
Verdict
Pick crane when crane is primarily Go; anything-llm is JavaScript; pick anything-llm when anything-llm is primarily JavaScript; crane is Go.
Markdown twin · crane alternatives · anything-llm alternatives
GraphCanon updated today
vs
Trust & integrity
| Signal | crane | anything-llm |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Dormant (1086d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 | Very active (0d since push) As of 4d · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Personal account As of today · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Organization account As of 4d · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of today · osv@v1 | No lockfile (source not queried) As of 4d · 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 agent experience with deployment scripts for multiple environments
Stars
- crane
- 987
- anything-llm
- 63k
Forks
- crane
- 61
- anything-llm
- 6.9k
Open issues
- crane
- 14
- anything-llm
- 320
Language
- crane
- Go
- anything-llm
- JavaScript
Adopt for
- crane
- -
- anything-llm
- Self-hosted AI agent experience with robust deployment scripts across multiple environments.
Persona
- crane
- -
- anything-llm
- -
Runtime
- crane
- -
- anything-llm
- -
License
- crane
- MIT
- anything-llm
- MIT
Last pushed
- crane
- Jul 25, 2023
- anything-llm
- Jul 11, 2026
Categories
- crane
- AI Agents
- anything-llm
- AI Agents, Inference & Serving
Trust and health
Maintenance
- crane
- Dormant (18%)
- anything-llm
- Very active (96%)
Days since push
- crane
- 1086d
- anything-llm
- 0d
Open issues (now)
- crane
- 14
- anything-llm
- 320
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, unison.
- Leaner open-issue backlog (14).
When NOT to use crane
- Last GitHub push was 1086 days ago (dormant maintenance, Jul 25, 2023). Validate activity before betting a new project on crane.
- AI Agents: Don't use an agent loop when a deterministic workflow would do; agents add latency, cost, and non-determinism.
Choose anything-llm if…
- anything-llm is primarily JavaScript; crane is Go.
- Tags unique to anything-llm: agent-computer, agent-harness, agentic-ai, llm.
- Also covers Inference & Serving.
- When you need flexibility in deploying your AI agents on various cloud platforms like AWS, GCP, Digital Ocean, and more.
When NOT to use anything-llm
- Avoid if you require an agent without additional setup or prefer SaaS solutions over self-managed deployments.
- Not suitable for users who are looking for no-code alternatives as setting up AnythingLLM might necessitate some coding knowledge despite offering multiple scripts and methods.
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 Jul 15, 2026
- GitHub forks (michaelsauter/crane) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- Last push (michaelsauter/crane) · observed Jul 25, 2023
- License file (MIT) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- GitHub stars (Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub forks (Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Last push (Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm) · 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 on cards: crane 987 · anything-llm 63k (synced Jul 15, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between crane and anything-llm?
- crane: Crane - Lift containers with ease. anything-llm: Self-hosted agent experience with deployment scripts for multiple environments. 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, unison; Leaner open-issue backlog (14).
- When should I choose anything-llm over crane?
- Choose anything-llm over crane when anything-llm is primarily JavaScript; crane is Go; Tags unique to anything-llm: agent-computer, agent-harness, agentic-ai, llm; Also covers Inference & Serving; When you need flexibility in deploying your AI agents on various cloud platforms like AWS, GCP, Digital Ocean, and more.
- When should I avoid crane?
- Last GitHub push was 1086 days ago (dormant maintenance, Jul 25, 2023). Validate activity before betting a new project on crane. AI Agents: Don't use an agent loop when a deterministic workflow would do; agents add latency, cost, and non-determinism.
- When should I avoid anything-llm?
- Avoid if you require an agent without additional setup or prefer SaaS solutions over self-managed deployments. Not suitable for users who are looking for no-code alternatives as setting up AnythingLLM might necessitate some coding knowledge despite offering multiple scripts and methods.
- Is crane or anything-llm more popular on GitHub?
- anything-llm has more GitHub stars (63,100 vs 987). 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.