--- title: "OpenHands vs openlm" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/openhands-openhands-vs-r2d4-openlm" tools: ["openhands-openhands", "r2d4-openlm"] --- # OpenHands vs openlm *GraphCanon updated Jul 12, 2026* ## Verdict Pick OpenHands when license: OpenHands is Other, openlm is MIT; pick openlm when license: openlm is MIT, OpenHands is Other. [OpenHands](https://openhands.dev) reports 80k GitHub stars, 10k forks, and 359 open issues, last pushed Jul 11, 2026. [openlm](https://github.com/r2d4/openlm) has 369 stars, 22 forks, and 1 open issues, last pushed May 19, 2023. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [OpenHands's repository](https://github.com/OpenHands/OpenHands) and [openlm's repository](https://github.com/r2d4/openlm). | | [OpenHands](/tools/openhands-openhands.md) | [openlm](/tools/r2d4-openlm.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | AI-Driven Development | OpenAI-compatible Python client that can call any LLM | | Stars | 80,430 | 369 | | Forks | 10,259 | 22 | | Open issues | 359 | 1 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | OpenHands is an AI-driven development tool that integrates with multiple AI models like ChatGPT and Claude-AI to offer intelligent support for coding tasks in Python. | - | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Other | MIT | | Categories | LLM Frameworks, Developer Tools | LLM Frameworks, Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [OpenHands](/tools/openhands-openhands.md) | [openlm](/tools/r2d4-openlm.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Dormant (18%) | | Days since push | 0d | 1148d | | Open issues (now) | 359 | 1 | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Security scan | No lockfile | 31 low (31 low) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/openhands-openhands/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/r2d4-openlm/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: OpenHands - **Adopt for:** OpenHands is an AI-driven development tool that integrates with multiple AI models like ChatGPT and Claude-AI to offer intelligent support for coding tasks in Python. ## Choose when ### Choose OpenHands if… - License: OpenHands is Other, openlm is MIT. - Tags unique to OpenHands: claude-ai, artificial-intelligence, chatgpt, agent. - - You are working predominantly on Python projects requiring integration of advanced AI functionalities such as those offered by ChatGPT or Claude-AI. ### Choose openlm if… - License: openlm is MIT, OpenHands is Other. - Tags unique to openlm: python, huggingface, cohere. - Leaner open-issue backlog (1). ## When NOT to use OpenHands - - If your project primarily uses technologies outside Python and you do not intend to integrate with ChatGPT or Claude-AI models specifically. - - When the need for customization in AI model integration is limited, as OpenHands is more rigid in its current support for specific models like ChatGPT and Claude-AI. ## When NOT to use openlm - Last GitHub push was 1149 days ago (dormant maintenance, May 19, 2023). Validate activity before betting a new project on openlm. - LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. - Developer Tools: A gateway is overkill when you're pinned to a single provider and model. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between OpenHands and openlm? OpenHands: AI-Driven Development. openlm: OpenAI-compatible Python client that can call any LLM. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose OpenHands over openlm? Choose OpenHands over openlm when License: OpenHands is Other, openlm is MIT; Tags unique to OpenHands: claude-ai, artificial-intelligence, chatgpt, agent; - You are working predominantly on Python projects requiring integration of advanced AI functionalities such as those offered by ChatGPT or Claude-AI. ### When should I choose openlm over OpenHands? Choose openlm over OpenHands when License: openlm is MIT, OpenHands is Other; Tags unique to openlm: python, huggingface, cohere; Leaner open-issue backlog (1). ### When should I avoid OpenHands? - If your project primarily uses technologies outside Python and you do not intend to integrate with ChatGPT or Claude-AI models specifically. - When the need for customization in AI model integration is limited, as OpenHands is more rigid in its current support for specific models like ChatGPT and Claude-AI. ### When should I avoid openlm? Last GitHub push was 1149 days ago (dormant maintenance, May 19, 2023). Validate activity before betting a new project on openlm. LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. Developer Tools: A gateway is overkill when you're pinned to a single provider and model. ### Is OpenHands or openlm more popular on GitHub? OpenHands has more GitHub stars (80,430 vs 369). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are OpenHands and openlm open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (OpenHands: Other, openlm: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to OpenHands or openlm? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [OpenHands alternatives](/tools/openhands-openhands/alternatives) and [openlm alternatives](/tools/r2d4-openlm/alternatives) ([OpenHands markdown twin](/tools/openhands-openhands/alternatives.md), [openlm markdown twin](/tools/r2d4-openlm/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/openhands-openhands-vs-r2d4-openlm.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, OpenHands or openlm? OpenHands: Very active. openlm: 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 OpenHands and openlm? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [OpenHands trust report](/tools/openhands-openhands/trust); [openlm trust report](/tools/r2d4-openlm/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=openhands-openhands`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=openhands-openhands) - 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/_