--- title: "DistiLlama vs deep-searcher" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/shreyaskarnik-distillama-vs-zilliztech-deep-searcher" tools: ["shreyaskarnik-distillama", "zilliztech-deep-searcher"] --- # DistiLlama vs deep-searcher *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick DistiLlama if distiLlama is a Chrome extension for summarizing and chatting with web pages and local documents using locally running language models to ensure data privacy; pick deep-searcher if deepSearcher is an open-source tool for reasoning and searching on private data, using vector databases and LLM integrations in Python under Apache-2.0 license. [DistiLlama](https://github.com/shreyaskarnik/DistiLlama) reports 304 GitHub stars, 32 forks, and 9 open issues, last pushed Sep 2, 2024. [deep-searcher](https://zilliztech.github.io/deep-searcher/) has 8.1k stars, 775 forks, and 53 open issues, last pushed Nov 19, 2025. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [DistiLlama's repository](https://github.com/shreyaskarnik/DistiLlama) and [deep-searcher's repository](https://github.com/zilliztech/deep-searcher). | | [DistiLlama](/tools/shreyaskarnik-distillama.md) | [deep-searcher](/tools/zilliztech-deep-searcher.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Chrome Extension for Summarizing and Chatting with Web Pages/Local Docs Using Local LLMs | Open Source Deep Research Alternative to Reason and Search on Private Data. | | Stars | 304 | 8,060 | | Forks | 32 | 775 | | Open issues | 9 | 53 | | Language | TypeScript | Python | | Adopt for | DistiLlama is a Chrome extension for summarizing and chatting with web pages and local documents using locally running language models to ensure data privacy. | DeepSearcher is an open-source tool for reasoning and searching on private data, using vector databases and LLM integrations in Python under Apache-2.0 license. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | AI Agents, LLM Frameworks | AI Agents, LLM Frameworks, Vector Databases | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [DistiLlama](/tools/shreyaskarnik-distillama.md) | [deep-searcher](/tools/zilliztech-deep-searcher.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Dormant (18%) | Slowing (36%) | | Days since push | 747d | 272d | | Open issues (now) | 9 | 53 | | Stars delta | 0 (30d) | +59 (30d) | | Owner type | User | Organization | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/shreyaskarnik-distillama/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/zilliztech-deep-searcher/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: DistiLlama - **Pricing:** freemium - DistiLlama is free and open source software under the MIT license, however, users are responsible for maintaining and running their own local language models. - **Adopt for:** DistiLlama is a Chrome extension for summarizing and chatting with web pages and local documents using locally running language models to ensure data privacy. ## Decision facts: deep-searcher - **Adopt for:** DeepSearcher is an open-source tool for reasoning and searching on private data, using vector databases and LLM integrations in Python under Apache-2.0 license. ## Choose when ### Choose DistiLlama if… - DistiLlama is primarily TypeScript; deep-searcher is Python. - License: DistiLlama is MIT, deep-searcher is Apache-2.0. - Pricing: DistiLlama is free and open source software under the MIT license, however, users are responsible for maintaining and running their own local language models.. - Tags unique to DistiLlama: chrome-extension, langchain, llama2, local-llm. - When you prioritize data privacy and prefer not to send sensitive information over the internet for processing. ### Choose deep-searcher if… - deep-searcher is primarily Python; DistiLlama is TypeScript. - License: deep-searcher is Apache-2.0, DistiLlama is MIT. - Tags unique to deep-searcher: agent, agentic-rag, deep-research, llm. - Also covers Vector Databases. - deep-searcher ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - When you require custom search and reasoning capabilities on your private datasets with integration of multiple LLMs like Claude or Qwen3. ## When NOT to use DistiLlama - If your setup does not support the execution of local language models, as this is a prerequisite for using DistiLlama effectively. - When you require real-time interaction or access to cloud-based resources for more dynamic content generation since local LLMs may be limited by hardware performance. ## When NOT to use deep-searcher - Avoid if your project demands proprietary solutions, as DeepSearcher is open-source and may not be suitable for closed systems. - Not ideal when a single vector database suffices; DeepSearcher supports multiple databases which might be overkill and complicate setup unnecessarily. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between DistiLlama and deep-searcher? DistiLlama: Chrome Extension for Summarizing and Chatting with Web Pages/Local Docs Using Local LLMs. deep-searcher: Open Source Deep Research Alternative to Reason and Search on Private Data.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose DistiLlama over deep-searcher? Choose DistiLlama over deep-searcher when DistiLlama is primarily TypeScript; deep-searcher is Python; License: DistiLlama is MIT, deep-searcher is Apache-2.0; Pricing: DistiLlama is free and open source software under the MIT license, however, users are responsible for maintaining and running their own local language models.; Tags unique to DistiLlama: chrome-extension, langchain, llama2, local-llm; When you prioritize data privacy and prefer not to send sensitive information over the internet for processing. ### When should I choose deep-searcher over DistiLlama? Choose deep-searcher over DistiLlama when deep-searcher is primarily Python; DistiLlama is TypeScript; License: deep-searcher is Apache-2.0, DistiLlama is MIT; Tags unique to deep-searcher: agent, agentic-rag, deep-research, llm; Also covers Vector Databases; deep-searcher ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When you require custom search and reasoning capabilities on your private datasets with integration of multiple LLMs like Claude or Qwen3. ### When should I avoid DistiLlama? If your setup does not support the execution of local language models, as this is a prerequisite for using DistiLlama effectively. When you require real-time interaction or access to cloud-based resources for more dynamic content generation since local LLMs may be limited by hardware performance. ### When should I avoid deep-searcher? Avoid if your project demands proprietary solutions, as DeepSearcher is open-source and may not be suitable for closed systems. Not ideal when a single vector database suffices; DeepSearcher supports multiple databases which might be overkill and complicate setup unnecessarily. ### Is DistiLlama or deep-searcher more popular on GitHub? deep-searcher has more GitHub stars (8,060 vs 304). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are DistiLlama and deep-searcher open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (DistiLlama: MIT, deep-searcher: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to DistiLlama or deep-searcher? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [DistiLlama alternatives](/tools/shreyaskarnik-distillama/alternatives) and [deep-searcher alternatives](/tools/zilliztech-deep-searcher/alternatives) ([DistiLlama markdown twin](/tools/shreyaskarnik-distillama/alternatives.md), [deep-searcher markdown twin](/tools/zilliztech-deep-searcher/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/shreyaskarnik-distillama-vs-zilliztech-deep-searcher.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, DistiLlama or deep-searcher? DistiLlama: Dormant. deep-searcher: 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 DistiLlama and deep-searcher? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [DistiLlama trust report](/tools/shreyaskarnik-distillama/trust); [deep-searcher trust report](/tools/zilliztech-deep-searcher/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=shreyaskarnik-distillama`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=shreyaskarnik-distillama) - 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/_