How to choose between different open-source libraries? [closed]

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Recently, I found multiple GitHub repositories that would allow me to perform the same task. (In my case, assess the readability of text strings.)

It made me wonder, what are the best practices for programmers to choose between different open-source libraries, and in particular, libraries hosted on GitHub?

GitHub statistics of users who watch, star, or fork a repository are one option, but are there others?

Answer 1

If I had the choice between two pieces of software with identical functionality, I'd choose the one with more recent commit activity. This indicates the software is being worked on at the moment and the original author is probably still around and might be willing to help fix any bugs you find.

If the functionality isn't identical, here are some other metrics to consider:

• The language of the library is the same (or compatible with) the language you are using for your software.
• Which is simpler (or looks simpler) to implement into your project?

Answer 2

I use most recent commit and overall age as good indicator.

If there are a couple that are established, active, and have the functionality you need, try them both. That's the only real "metric" to use.