--- title: "llm-self-defense vs AutoDefense" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/poloclub-llm-self-defense-vs-xhmy-autodefense" tools: ["poloclub-llm-self-defense", "xhmy-autodefense"] --- # llm-self-defense vs AutoDefense *GraphCanon updated Jul 12, 2026* ## Verdict Pick llm-self-defense when license: llm-self-defense is BSD-3-Clause, AutoDefense is MIT; pick AutoDefense when license: AutoDefense is MIT, 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. [AutoDefense](https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.04783) has 68 stars, 20 forks, and 1 open issues, last pushed Jan 15, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [llm-self-defense's repository](https://github.com/poloclub/llm-self-defense) and [AutoDefense's repository](https://github.com/XHMY/AutoDefense). | | [llm-self-defense](/tools/poloclub-llm-self-defense.md) | [AutoDefense](/tools/xhmy-autodefense.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | LLM Self Defense: By Self Examination, LLMs know they are being tricked | AutoDefense: Multi-Agent LLM Defense against Jailbreak Attacks | | Stars | 52 | 68 | | Forks | 7 | 20 | | Open issues | 7 | 1 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | - | - | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | BSD-3-Clause | MIT | | Categories | Developer Tools, Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks | AI Agents, 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) | [AutoDefense](/tools/xhmy-autodefense.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Dormant (18%) | Slowing (36%) | | Days since push | 781d | 177d | | Open issues (now) | 7 | 1 | | 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/xhmy-autodefense/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Python**: [llm-self-defense](/tools/poloclub-llm-self-defense.md) - Python runtime; [AutoDefense](/tools/xhmy-autodefense.md) - Python runtime ## Choose when ### Choose llm-self-defense if… - License: llm-self-defense is BSD-3-Clause, AutoDefense is MIT. - Also covers Developer Tools. ### Choose AutoDefense if… - License: AutoDefense is MIT, llm-self-defense is BSD-3-Clause. - Also covers AI Agents. - More GitHub stars (68 vs 52) - visibility, not fit. ## 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 AutoDefense - Last GitHub push was 177 days ago (slowing maintenance, Jan 15, 2026). Validate activity before betting a new project on AutoDefense. - AI Agents: Don't use an agent loop when a deterministic workflow would do; agents add latency, cost, and non-determinism. - 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. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between llm-self-defense and AutoDefense? llm-self-defense: LLM Self Defense: By Self Examination, LLMs know they are being tricked. AutoDefense: AutoDefense: Multi-Agent LLM Defense against Jailbreak Attacks. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose llm-self-defense over AutoDefense? Choose llm-self-defense over AutoDefense when License: llm-self-defense is BSD-3-Clause, AutoDefense is MIT; Also covers Developer Tools. ### When should I choose AutoDefense over llm-self-defense? Choose AutoDefense over llm-self-defense when License: AutoDefense is MIT, llm-self-defense is BSD-3-Clause; Also covers AI Agents; More GitHub stars (68 vs 52) - visibility, not fit. ### 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 AutoDefense? Last GitHub push was 177 days ago (slowing maintenance, Jan 15, 2026). Validate activity before betting a new project on AutoDefense. AI Agents: Don't use an agent loop when a deterministic workflow would do; agents add latency, cost, and non-determinism. 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. ### Is llm-self-defense or AutoDefense more popular on GitHub? AutoDefense has more GitHub stars (68 vs 52). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are llm-self-defense and AutoDefense open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (llm-self-defense: BSD-3-Clause, AutoDefense: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to llm-self-defense or AutoDefense? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [llm-self-defense alternatives](/tools/poloclub-llm-self-defense/alternatives) and [AutoDefense alternatives](/tools/xhmy-autodefense/alternatives) ([llm-self-defense markdown twin](/tools/poloclub-llm-self-defense/alternatives.md), [AutoDefense markdown twin](/tools/xhmy-autodefense/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-xhmy-autodefense.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 AutoDefense? llm-self-defense: Dormant. AutoDefense: Slowing. 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 AutoDefense? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [llm-self-defense trust report](/tools/poloclub-llm-self-defense/trust); [AutoDefense trust report](/tools/xhmy-autodefense/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/_