AgentIndex icon
AgentIndex
Vera logo
Vera
★ 120
vs
ken logo
ken
★ 33

Vera vs ken

Vera: Vera is a local-first code search tool that uses BM25, vector search, and cross-encoder reranking. It indexes over 60 languages with tree-sitter and returns structured JSON results. It runs as a single static binary with no external dependencies.; ken: Ken is a pure Go port of semble, providing fast hybrid code search for agents with drop-in MCP compatibility. It offers a single static binary distribution, approximately 44x fewer tokens than grep+Read at recall@10, and supports indexing source code and documentation. The retrieval algorithm is a verbatim port of semble's hybrid BM25 + Model2Vec approach.

01

TL;DR

Vera logo
VeraRAG / Knowledge Base · ★ 120

Semantic code search in large codebases

Read Vera full review →
ken logo
kenRAG / Knowledge Base · ★ 33

Agent code search: quickly find relevant code chunks across large codebases

Read ken full review →
02

Side-by-Side Comparison

Field
Vera logoVera
ken logoken
Category
RAG / Knowledge Base
RAG / Knowledge Base
Stars
★ 120
★ 33
License
MIT
MIT
Install Command
bunx @vera-ai/cli install && vera setup
go install github.com/townsendmerino/ken/cmd/ken@latest && go install github.com/townsendmerino/ken/cmd/ken-mcp@latest && ken download-model
Updated
1w ago
1d ago
Open Source
Yes
Yes
Website
↗ Visit
↗ Visit
GitHub
↗ GitHub
↗ GitHub
Tags
bm25, cli, code-search
agents, bm25, code-search
03

Features

Vera logoVera
01Model-agnostic, local-first
02Tree-sitter structural parsing
03Structured, code-aware results
04Cross-encoder reranking
05Zero-dependency, single binary
ken logoken
01Pure Go, no cgo; single static binary with free cross-compilation
02Drop-in MCP-compatible with semble (same tool schemas and output format)
03Verbatim port of semble's hybrid BM25 + Model2Vec retrieval algorithm
04Measured ~44x fewer tokens than grep+Read at recall@10 on agent queries
05Fast cold start (~10–20ms for small indexes)
04

Use Cases

Vera logoVera
↳Semantic code search in large codebases
↳AI agent integration for automated code retrieval
↳Codebase analysis and refactoring support
ken logoken
↳Agent code search: quickly find relevant code chunks across large codebases
↳Embedded-corpus distribution: ship documentation as a single static binary with zero infrastructure
↳Database schema indexing: index live Postgres/SQLite/MySQL schemas for agent context
FAQ

FAQ

What is the difference between Vera and ken?
Both Vera and ken are in the RAG / Knowledge Base category. Vera has 120 stars, while ken has 33 stars.
Which is better, Vera or ken?
The best choice depends on your use case. Choose Vera if Semantic code search in large codebases, and ken if Agent code search: quickly find relevant code chunks across large codebases.
Is Vera free or open source?
Yes, Vera is open source on GitHub (MIT).
Is ken free or open source?
Yes, ken is open source on GitHub (MIT).
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Related

Alternatives to Vera →Alternatives to ken →Vera details →ken details →