Comparison
qwen-code vs agents
Verdict
Pick qwen-code if qwen Code is an open-source AI coding agent that operates directly from the terminal, offering a CLI interface for coding tasks; pick agents if the agents tool is a marketplace for plugins that enhances multiple AI agents, offering integration and management capabilities across several platforms, including Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, OpenCode, GitHub Copilot.
Markdown twin · qwen-code alternatives · agents alternatives
GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026
Trust & integrity
| Signal | qwen-code | agents |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (0d since push) As of Sep 18, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Very active (1d since push) As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of Sep 18, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Personal account As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of Sep 20, 2026 · osv@v1 | No lockfile (source not queried) As of Jul 11, 2026 · 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
- qwen-code
- An open-source AI coding agent that lives in your terminal
- agents
- Multi-harness agentic plugin marketplace for various AI agents
Stars
- qwen-code
- 28k
- agents
- 40k
Forks
- qwen-code
- 3.1k
- agents
- 4.2k
Open issues
- qwen-code
- 1.4k
- agents
- 12
Language
- qwen-code
- TypeScript
- agents
- Python
Adopt for
- qwen-code
- Qwen Code is an open-source AI coding agent that operates directly from the terminal, offering a CLI interface for coding tasks.
- agents
- The agents tool is a marketplace for plugins that enhances multiple AI agents, offering integration and management capabilities across several platforms, including Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, OpenCode, GitHub Copilot
Persona
- qwen-code
- -
- agents
- -
Runtime
- qwen-code
- -
- agents
- -
License
- qwen-code
- Qwen Code is distributed under the Apache-2.0 license, which is permissive and allows for free use, modification, and distribution.
- agents
- MIT
Last pushed
- qwen-code
- Sep 18, 2026
- agents
- Sep 19, 2026
Categories
- qwen-code
- AI Agents, Developer Tools
- agents
- AI Agents, Developer Tools
Trust and health
Days since push
- qwen-code
- 0d
- agents
- 1d
Open issues (now)
- qwen-code
- 1.4k
- agents
- 12
Stars delta
- qwen-code
- Unknown
- agents
- +895 (30d)
Open issues delta
- qwen-code
- Unknown
- agents
- +7 (30d)
Owner type
- qwen-code
- Organization
- agents
- User
Full report
- qwen-code
- Trust report
- agents
- Trust report
Choose qwen-code if…
- qwen-code is primarily TypeScript; agents is Python.
- License: qwen-code is Apache-2.0, agents is MIT.
- Pricing: Qwen Code is free and open-source, but may have premium features or services that require payment..
- Requirements: Min 2 GB RAM; Requires Node.js 22+ for npm installation.; Restart terminal after installation to ensure environment variables take effect..
- Tags unique to qwen-code: agentic, ai-coding, cli, coding-agent.
- qwen-code ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment.
- When you need an AI coding assistant that integrates seamlessly with your terminal environment.
When NOT to use qwen-code
- If you require a GUI-based interface for your coding tasks, as Qwen Code is strictly a CLI tool.
- When you are working in an environment where TypeScript is not the primary language, as Qwen Code is built with TypeScript.
- If you need a proprietary solution with specific enterprise features not covered by open-source licenses.
- When you are in a network environment that restricts access to external installation scripts, as Qwen Code requires downloading and running scripts from a remote server.
Choose agents if…
- agents is primarily Python; qwen-code is TypeScript.
- License: agents is MIT, qwen-code is Apache-2.0.
- Tags unique to agents: agent-skills, agentic-ai, automation, prompt-engineering.
- You are working specifically within the ecosystems of Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, OpenCode, GitHub Copilot, or Gemini CLI, as it provides tailored plugins for these environments
When NOT to use agents
- You are working solely within a niche environment that isn't one of the supported platforms (like Claude Code, Codex CLI, etc.) because it may not offer compatible plugins or extensive support
- Your project requirements do not include interoperability between multiple AI agents and you only need to leverage functionalities from a single AI agent with a robust in-built plugin ecosystem
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (QwenLM/qwen-code) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (QwenLM/qwen-code) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Last push (QwenLM/qwen-code) · observed Sep 18, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Sep 18, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub stars (wshobson/agents) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (wshobson/agents) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Last push (wshobson/agents) · observed Sep 19, 2026
- License file (MIT) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: qwen-code 28k · agents 40k (synced Sep 20, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between qwen-code and agents?
- qwen-code: An open-source AI coding agent that lives in your terminal. agents: Multi-harness agentic plugin marketplace for various AI agents. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose qwen-code over agents?
- Choose qwen-code over agents when qwen-code is primarily TypeScript; agents is Python; License: qwen-code is Apache-2.0, agents is MIT; Pricing: Qwen Code is free and open-source, but may have premium features or services that require payment.; Requirements: Min 2 GB RAM; Requires Node.js 22+ for npm installation.; Restart terminal after installation to ensure environment variables take effect.; Tags unique to qwen-code: agentic, ai-coding, cli, coding-agent; qwen-code ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When you need an AI coding assistant that integrates seamlessly with your terminal environment.
- When should I choose agents over qwen-code?
- Choose agents over qwen-code when agents is primarily Python; qwen-code is TypeScript; License: agents is MIT, qwen-code is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to agents: agent-skills, agentic-ai, automation, prompt-engineering; You are working specifically within the ecosystems of Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, OpenCode, GitHub Copilot, or Gemini CLI, as it provides tailored plugins for these environments.
- When should I avoid qwen-code?
- If you require a GUI-based interface for your coding tasks, as Qwen Code is strictly a CLI tool. When you are working in an environment where TypeScript is not the primary language, as Qwen Code is built with TypeScript. If you need a proprietary solution with specific enterprise features not covered by open-source licenses. When you are in a network environment that restricts access to external installation scripts, as Qwen Code requires downloading and running scripts from a remote server.
- When should I avoid agents?
- You are working solely within a niche environment that isn't one of the supported platforms (like Claude Code, Codex CLI, etc.) because it may not offer compatible plugins or extensive support Your project requirements do not include interoperability between multiple AI agents and you only need to leverage functionalities from a single AI agent with a robust in-built plugin ecosystem
- Is qwen-code or agents more popular on GitHub?
- agents has more GitHub stars (39,823 vs 27,946). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are qwen-code and agents open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (qwen-code: Apache-2.0, agents: MIT).
- Where can I find alternatives to qwen-code or agents?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at qwen-code alternatives and agents alternatives (qwen-code markdown twin, agents 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, qwen-code or agents?
- qwen-code: Very active. agents: 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 qwen-code and agents?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: qwen-code trust report; agents trust report.