# deer-flow vs nanobot
_Autonomous Agents · independent comparison_

> deer-flow and nanobot are both open-source autonomous agents you can self-host for free. deer-flow has wider GitHub adoption — 82k stars vs 48k. Neither is universally better — pick by fit.

## Side by side

**deer-flow**
- Open source · Agent · 82k★ · Python · MIT · active 2 days ago
- Best for: Orchestrating sub-agents, memory, and sandboxes through one extensible skill system.
- Avoid if: You built on DeerFlow 1.x — version 2 is a ground-up rewrite that shares no code.
- [listing](https://agentsearchengine.app/agents/deer-flow) · [official](https://deerflow.tech)

**nanobot**
- Open source · Agent · 48k★ · Python · MIT · active 2 days ago
- Best for: A small, readable self-hosted agent framework with memory and MCP built in.
- [listing](https://agentsearchengine.app/agents/nanobot) · [official](https://nanobot.wiki)

## Key differences

- deer-flow has wider GitHub adoption — 82k stars vs 48k.

## Which to choose

**Choose deer-flow if:** Orchestrating sub-agents, memory, and sandboxes through one extensible skill system.

**Choose nanobot if:** A small, readable self-hosted agent framework with memory and MCP built in.

## FAQ

**What's the main difference between deer-flow and nanobot?**
deer-flow has wider GitHub adoption — 82k stars vs 48k.

**Is deer-flow or nanobot better?**
Neither is universally better. deer-flow is the stronger fit for Orchestrating sub-agents, memory, and sandboxes through one extensible skill system; nanobot for A small, readable self-hosted agent framework with memory and MCP built in. Use the side-by-side specs to decide by your own constraints.

**Is deer-flow or nanobot free?**
deer-flow is free to run and self-host; nanobot is free to run and self-host. Both are free to self-host — you only pay for the infrastructure and any model or API usage.

**Which is more popular, deer-flow or nanobot?**
By GitHub stars — a proxy for open-source adoption — deer-flow is ahead (82k vs 48k). Stars measure attention, not necessarily the better fit for you.

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Source: [Agent Search Engine](https://agentsearchengine.app) — https://agentsearchengine.app/compare/deer-flow-vs-nanobot