--- title: "cherche vs semtools" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/raphaelsty-cherche-vs-run-llama-semtools" tools: ["raphaelsty-cherche", "run-llama-semtools"] --- # cherche vs semtools *GraphCanon updated Aug 23, 2026* ## Verdict Pick cherche if cherche is a Python library for implementing neural search capabilities; pick semtools if semtools is a Rust-based tool that provides command-line capabilities for semantic searching and parsing documents. It leverages embeddings and static embedding techniques to offer robust data retrieval functionalities. [cherche](https://github.com/raphaelsty/cherche) reports 332 GitHub stars, 14 forks, and 4 open issues, last pushed Jun 1, 2024. [semtools](https://github.com/run-llama/semtools) has 1.9k stars, 142 forks, and 6 open issues, last pushed Mar 11, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [cherche's repository](https://github.com/raphaelsty/cherche) and [semtools's repository](https://github.com/run-llama/semtools). | | [cherche](/tools/raphaelsty-cherche.md) | [semtools](/tools/run-llama-semtools.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Neural Search | Semantic search and document parsing tools for the command line | | Stars | 332 | 1,855 | | Forks | 14 | 142 | | Open issues | 4 | 6 | | Language | Python | Rust | | Adopt for | Cherche is a Python library for implementing neural search capabilities. | semtools is a Rust-based tool that provides command-line capabilities for semantic searching and parsing documents. It leverages embeddings and static embedding techniques to offer robust data retrieval functionalities. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT | MIT | | Categories | Data & Retrieval, Evaluation & Observability, Vector Databases | Data & Retrieval, Vector Databases | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [cherche](/tools/raphaelsty-cherche.md) | [semtools](/tools/run-llama-semtools.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Dormant (18%) | Slowing (36%) | | Days since push | 812d | 163d | | Open issues (now) | 4 | 6 | | Stars delta | 0 (30d) | +17 (30d) | | Owner type | User | Organization | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/raphaelsty-cherche/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/run-llama-semtools/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: cherche - **Adopt for:** Cherche is a Python library for implementing neural search capabilities. ## Decision facts: semtools - **Pricing:** freemium - Freely available under the MIT license, with possible premium features not covered by open-source. - **Adopt for:** semtools is a Rust-based tool that provides command-line capabilities for semantic searching and parsing documents. It leverages embeddings and static embedding techniques to offer robust data retrieval functionalities. ## Choose when ### Choose cherche if… - cherche is primarily Python; semtools is Rust. - Tags unique to cherche: bm25, flashtext, information-retrieval, machine-learning. - Also covers Evaluation & Observability. - Cherche is a Python library for implementing neural search capabilities. ### Choose semtools if… - semtools is primarily Rust; cherche is Python. - Pricing: Freely available under the MIT license, with possible premium features not covered by open-source.. - Tags unique to semtools: cli, embeddings, parser, rust. - - When you require fast, statically typed document and search functionality via the command line built in Rust. ## When NOT to use cherche - Last GitHub push was 816 days ago (dormant maintenance, Jun 1, 2024). Validate activity before betting a new project on cherche. - Data & Retrieval: Skip a heavy ingestion framework when your corpus is small and static; a script plus the embedding API is enough. - Evaluation & Observability: Defer heavyweight eval infra only until you have real traffic - never skip it once users depend on answers. - Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate. ## When NOT to use semtools - - If your workflow does not frequently involve command-line operations for managing search capabilities on documents, as semtools is explicitly designed for such usage. - - When there's no plan or necessity to integrate with Rust-based ecosystems, since semtools might require additional effort in setting up a compatible environment. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between cherche and semtools? cherche: Neural Search. semtools: Semantic search and document parsing tools for the command line. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose cherche over semtools? Choose cherche over semtools when cherche is primarily Python; semtools is Rust; Tags unique to cherche: bm25, flashtext, information-retrieval, machine-learning; Also covers Evaluation & Observability; Cherche is a Python library for implementing neural search capabilities. ### When should I choose semtools over cherche? Choose semtools over cherche when semtools is primarily Rust; cherche is Python; Pricing: Freely available under the MIT license, with possible premium features not covered by open-source.; Tags unique to semtools: cli, embeddings, parser, rust; - When you require fast, statically typed document and search functionality via the command line built in Rust. ### When should I avoid cherche? Last GitHub push was 816 days ago (dormant maintenance, Jun 1, 2024). Validate activity before betting a new project on cherche. Data & Retrieval: Skip a heavy ingestion framework when your corpus is small and static; a script plus the embedding API is enough. Evaluation & Observability: Defer heavyweight eval infra only until you have real traffic - never skip it once users depend on answers. Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate. ### When should I avoid semtools? - If your workflow does not frequently involve command-line operations for managing search capabilities on documents, as semtools is explicitly designed for such usage. - When there's no plan or necessity to integrate with Rust-based ecosystems, since semtools might require additional effort in setting up a compatible environment. ### Is cherche or semtools more popular on GitHub? semtools has more GitHub stars (1,855 vs 332). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are cherche and semtools open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (cherche: MIT, semtools: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to cherche or semtools? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [cherche alternatives](/tools/raphaelsty-cherche/alternatives) and [semtools alternatives](/tools/run-llama-semtools/alternatives) ([cherche markdown twin](/tools/raphaelsty-cherche/alternatives.md), [semtools markdown twin](/tools/run-llama-semtools/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/raphaelsty-cherche-vs-run-llama-semtools.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, cherche or semtools? cherche: Dormant. semtools: 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 cherche and semtools? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [cherche trust report](/tools/raphaelsty-cherche/trust); [semtools trust report](/tools/run-llama-semtools/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=raphaelsty-cherche`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=raphaelsty-cherche) - 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/_