--- title: "llm-self-defense vs llm" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/poloclub-llm-self-defense-vs-simonw-llm" tools: ["poloclub-llm-self-defense", "simonw-llm"] --- # llm-self-defense vs llm *GraphCanon updated Jul 12, 2026* ## Verdict Pick llm-self-defense when license: llm-self-defense is BSD-3-Clause, llm is Apache-2.0; pick llm when license: llm is Apache-2.0, llm-self-defense is BSD-3-Clause. [llm-self-defense](https://github.com/poloclub/llm-self-defense) reports 52 GitHub stars, 7 forks, and 7 open issues, last pushed May 21, 2024. [llm](https://llm.datasette.io) has 12k stars, 920 forks, and 645 open issues, last pushed Jul 9, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [llm-self-defense's repository](https://github.com/poloclub/llm-self-defense) and [llm's repository](https://github.com/simonw/llm). | | [llm-self-defense](/tools/poloclub-llm-self-defense.md) | [llm](/tools/simonw-llm.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | LLM Self Defense: By Self Examination, LLMs know they are being tricked | Access large language models from the command-line | | Stars | 52 | 12,172 | | Forks | 7 | 920 | | Open issues | 7 | 645 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | - | Decision-critical facts for 'llm' | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | BSD-3-Clause | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | Developer Tools, Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks | Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [llm-self-defense](/tools/poloclub-llm-self-defense.md) | [llm](/tools/simonw-llm.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Dormant (18%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 781d | 1d | | Open issues (now) | 7 | 645 | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Security scan | 157 low (157 low) | No lockfile | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/poloclub-llm-self-defense/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/simonw-llm/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Python**: [llm-self-defense](/tools/poloclub-llm-self-defense.md) - Python runtime; [llm](/tools/simonw-llm.md) - Python runtime ## Decision facts: llm - **Requirements:** - Installation supports multiple methods including `pip`, Homebrew (with caveats noted), `pipx`, and `uv`.; - Requires an OpenAI API key for certain functionalities. - **Adopt for:** Decision-critical facts for 'llm' - **License detail:** Apache-2.0 ## Choose when ### Choose llm-self-defense if… - License: llm-self-defense is BSD-3-Clause, llm is Apache-2.0. - Tags unique to llm-self-defense: python. - Also covers Developer Tools. ### Choose llm if… - License: llm is Apache-2.0, llm-self-defense is BSD-3-Clause. - Requirements: - Installation supports multiple methods including `pip`, Homebrew (with caveats noted), `pipx`, and `uv`.; - Requires an OpenAI API key for certain functionalities.. - Tags unique to llm: ai, llms, openai. - - You prioritize command-line interaction over graphical interfaces, as llm is designed to provide a seamless CLI experience with multiple installation methods. ## When NOT to use llm-self-defense - Last GitHub push was 782 days ago (dormant maintenance, May 21, 2024). Validate activity before betting a new project on llm-self-defense. - Developer Tools: A gateway is overkill when you're pinned to a single provider and model. - Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic. - LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. ## When NOT to use llm - - If you require real-time visual feedback or a graphical interface for interacting with language models, as llm is strictly command-line-based. - - If your primary focus is on model training rather than inference or serving, since llm is aimed at accessing and using pre-trained models. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between llm-self-defense and llm? llm-self-defense: LLM Self Defense: By Self Examination, LLMs know they are being tricked. llm: Access large language models from the command-line. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose llm-self-defense over llm? Choose llm-self-defense over llm when License: llm-self-defense is BSD-3-Clause, llm is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to llm-self-defense: python; Also covers Developer Tools. ### When should I choose llm over llm-self-defense? Choose llm over llm-self-defense when License: llm is Apache-2.0, llm-self-defense is BSD-3-Clause; Requirements: - Installation supports multiple methods including `pip`, Homebrew (with caveats noted), `pipx`, and `uv`.; - Requires an OpenAI API key for certain functionalities.; Tags unique to llm: ai, llms, openai; - You prioritize command-line interaction over graphical interfaces, as llm is designed to provide a seamless CLI experience with multiple installation methods. ### When should I avoid llm-self-defense? Last GitHub push was 782 days ago (dormant maintenance, May 21, 2024). Validate activity before betting a new project on llm-self-defense. Developer Tools: A gateway is overkill when you're pinned to a single provider and model. Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic. LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. ### When should I avoid llm? - If you require real-time visual feedback or a graphical interface for interacting with language models, as llm is strictly command-line-based. - If your primary focus is on model training rather than inference or serving, since llm is aimed at accessing and using pre-trained models. ### Is llm-self-defense or llm more popular on GitHub? llm has more GitHub stars (12,172 vs 52). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are llm-self-defense and llm open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (llm-self-defense: BSD-3-Clause, llm: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to llm-self-defense or llm? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [llm-self-defense alternatives](/tools/poloclub-llm-self-defense/alternatives) and [llm alternatives](/tools/simonw-llm/alternatives) ([llm-self-defense markdown twin](/tools/poloclub-llm-self-defense/alternatives.md), [llm markdown twin](/tools/simonw-llm/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/poloclub-llm-self-defense-vs-simonw-llm.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, llm-self-defense or llm? llm-self-defense: Dormant. 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 llm-self-defense and llm? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [llm-self-defense trust report](/tools/poloclub-llm-self-defense/trust); [llm trust report](/tools/simonw-llm/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=poloclub-llm-self-defense`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=poloclub-llm-self-defense) - 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/_