---
title: "crane vs AutoGPT"
type: "comparison"
canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/michaelsauter-crane-vs-significant-gravitas-autogpt"
tools: ["michaelsauter-crane", "significant-gravitas-autogpt"]
---

# crane vs AutoGPT

*GraphCanon updated Jul 15, 2026*

## Verdict

Pick crane when crane is primarily Go; AutoGPT is Python; pick AutoGPT when autoGPT is primarily Python; crane is Go.

[crane](https://github.com/michaelsauter/crane) reports 987 GitHub stars, 61 forks, and 14 open issues, last pushed Jul 25, 2023. [AutoGPT](https://agpt.co) has 185k stars, 46k forks, and 494 open issues, last pushed Jul 11, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [crane's repository](https://github.com/michaelsauter/crane) and [AutoGPT's repository](https://github.com/Significant-Gravitas/AutoGPT).

| | [crane](/tools/michaelsauter-crane.md) | [AutoGPT](/tools/significant-gravitas-autogpt.md) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tagline | Crane - Lift containers with ease | AutoGPT is the vision of accessible AI for everyone, to use and to build on. |
| Stars | 987 | 185,464 |
| Forks | 61 | 46,111 |
| Open issues | 14 | 494 |
| Language | Go | Python |
| Adopt for | - | AutoGPT is a Python-based tool for creating accessible autonomous AI agents that can leverage various LLM APIs including OpenAI's GPT and Anthropic's Claude. |
| Persona | - | - |
| Runtime | - | - |
| License | MIT | Other |
| Categories | AI Agents | AI Agents, LLM Frameworks |

## Trust and health

_Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._

| | [crane](/tools/michaelsauter-crane.md) | [AutoGPT](/tools/significant-gravitas-autogpt.md) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Maintenance | Dormant (18%) | Very active (96%) |
| Days since push | 1086d | 0d |
| Open issues (now) | 14 | 494 |
| Owner type | User | Organization |
| Full report | [trust report](/tools/michaelsauter-crane/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/significant-gravitas-autogpt/trust.md) |

## Decision facts: AutoGPT

- **Adopt for:** AutoGPT is a Python-based tool for creating accessible autonomous AI agents that can leverage various LLM APIs including OpenAI's GPT and Anthropic's Claude.

## Choose when

### Choose crane if…

- crane is primarily Go; AutoGPT is Python.
- License: crane is MIT, AutoGPT is Other.
- Tags unique to crane: docker, go, orchestration, unison.

### Choose AutoGPT if…

- AutoGPT is primarily Python; crane is Go.
- License: AutoGPT is Other, crane is MIT.
- Tags unique to AutoGPT: agentic-ai, agents, ai, artificial-intelligence.
- Also covers LLM Frameworks.
- When you need to rapidly prototype or deploy an autonomous agent using existing language models without deep AI expertise.

## 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.

## When NOT to use AutoGPT

- Avoid if you require absolute control over the underlying AI infrastructure and APIs used by your autonomous agents, as AutoGPT imposes its own framework.
- If your project demands proprietary or specialized models that aren't supported by AutoGPT's API ecosystem (e.g., custom TensorFlow or PyTorch models), consider other tools.

## Common questions

### What is the difference between crane and AutoGPT?

crane: Crane - Lift containers with ease. AutoGPT: AutoGPT is the vision of accessible AI for everyone, to use and to build on.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.

### When should I choose crane over AutoGPT?

Choose crane over AutoGPT when crane is primarily Go; AutoGPT is Python; License: crane is MIT, AutoGPT is Other; Tags unique to crane: docker, go, orchestration, unison.

### When should I choose AutoGPT over crane?

Choose AutoGPT over crane when AutoGPT is primarily Python; crane is Go; License: AutoGPT is Other, crane is MIT; Tags unique to AutoGPT: agentic-ai, agents, ai, artificial-intelligence; Also covers LLM Frameworks; When you need to rapidly prototype or deploy an autonomous agent using existing language models without deep AI expertise.

### 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 AutoGPT?

Avoid if you require absolute control over the underlying AI infrastructure and APIs used by your autonomous agents, as AutoGPT imposes its own framework. If your project demands proprietary or specialized models that aren't supported by AutoGPT's API ecosystem (e.g., custom TensorFlow or PyTorch models), consider other tools.

### Is crane or AutoGPT more popular on GitHub?

AutoGPT has more GitHub stars (185,464 vs 987). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.

### Are crane and AutoGPT open source?

Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (crane: MIT, AutoGPT: Other).

### Where can I find alternatives to crane or AutoGPT?

GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [crane alternatives](/tools/michaelsauter-crane/alternatives) and [AutoGPT alternatives](/tools/significant-gravitas-autogpt/alternatives) ([crane markdown twin](/tools/michaelsauter-crane/alternatives.md), [AutoGPT markdown twin](/tools/significant-gravitas-autogpt/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/michaelsauter-crane-vs-significant-gravitas-autogpt.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.

### Which is better maintained, crane or AutoGPT?

crane: Dormant. AutoGPT: 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 AutoGPT?

GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [crane trust report](/tools/michaelsauter-crane/trust); [AutoGPT trust report](/tools/significant-gravitas-autogpt/trust).

---

**Machine-readable endpoints**

- JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=michaelsauter-crane`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=michaelsauter-crane)
- 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/_
