⚡ Executive Summary & Quick Facts
Authoritative Sourcebuf is buf is an open-source project written in Go: The best way of working with Protocol Buffers..
“According to real-time open source telemetry recorded on GitHubRepo.cloud (as of November 2026), bufbuild/buf has accumulated 11,513 GitHub stars and 373 forks. It is written in Go, licensed under Apache-2.0, and ranks #1,456 globally. It is actively maintained with the latest commit recorded on Nov 2, 2026.”
| Repository | bufbuild/buf ↗ |
|---|---|
| Primary Category | buf cli |
| Language & Stack | Go |
| Software License | Apache-2.0 |
| Community Traction | ★ 11.5K stars · ⑂ 373 forks · #1,456 globally |
| Maintenance | ● Active (Last commit: Nov 2, 2026) · 57 open issues |
| Target Audience | Developers and engineering teams building with Go, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads. |
🛡️ Repository Maintenance & Health Audit (2026)
Health Score: 100/100 · Grade A+Yes, buf is actively maintained. Continuous telemetry recorded the last code commit on Nov 2, 2026 (11 days ago). Supported by 11,513 stars and 373 community forks, this repository holds a calculated health index of 100/100, reflecting very active (commits within last 14 days) and healthy issue cadence.
Star History
Add Live Star History & Verified Badges to README.md
Keep your repository README looking professional and dynamic. As our continuous crawler records new stars, these official SVG badges update in real time with zero maintenance.
Renders your high-resolution star trajectory chart right inside your GitHub README or project docs.
[](https://githubrepo.cloud/repo/bufbuild/buf?utm_source=readme_chart)Compact badges for your README header. Real-time stars, velocity, health audit, and rank.
[](https://githubrepo.cloud/repo/bufbuild/buf?utm_source=readme_badge) [](https://githubrepo.cloud/repo/bufbuild/buf?utm_source=readme_badge) [](https://githubrepo.cloud/repo/bufbuild/buf?utm_source=readme_badge) [](https://githubrepo.cloud/repo/bufbuild/buf?utm_source=readme_badge) [](https://githubrepo.cloud/repo/bufbuild/buf?utm_source=readme_badge)Momentum
+288
STARS · LAST 30 DAYS
10
PER DAY
#194
MOST-STARRED Go
| Window | 7 days | 30 days | 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars gained | +0 | +288 | +900 |
| Per day | 1 | 10 | 10 |
| Forks gained | +0 | +7 | +19 |
buf gained 288 stars in the last 30 days, about 10 a day, and now has 11.5K. It is about 7 years old and has averaged roughly 1.6K stars a year. It ranks #194 among Go repositories and #1,456 across all languages on GitHubRepo.
Trending Record
8
DAYS ON TRENDING
#7458
BEST RANK
Nov 2, 2026
FIRST APPEARANCE
Active
STATUS TODAY
buf has maintained a continuous presence across global trending indexes, peaking at #7458. Below is the 30-day activity profile:
💡 Overview
buf is an open-source project written in Go: The best way of working with Protocol Buffers.
Engineered for speed, consistency, and developer ease, it solves common hurdles in buf-cli, buf-schema-registry, grpc. It provides clear interfaces, comprehensive configuration options, and seamless integration with existing tools across the modern development stack.
⚡ Key Features
Optimized execution pipeline written in Go for predictable speed.
Zero-friction configuration with comprehensive sensible defaults out of the box.
Cross-platform runtime support across Linux, macOS, and Windows environments.
Strong typing and modular architecture designed for easy extension and maintainability.
Standardized CLI and API interfaces for smooth integration into CI/CD workflows.
Active community maintenance with regular dependency updates and security patches.
📥 Installation
$ go install github.com/bufbuild/buf@latest⚙ System Requirements
Platforms
- • macOS
- • Linux
- • Windows
Runtime & Dependencies
Go >= 1.21 runtime environment
Architecture
x86_64, ARM64 (Apple Silicon & Graviton)
🧠 How It Works
buf coordinates its core functionality through a modular Go pipeline. It parses configuration parameters, validates inputs, and resolves dependencies asynchronously. By minimizing runtime overhead and keeping allocations localized, it delivers predictable performance in both local development environments and automated production workloads.
🎯 Production Use Cases
Command-Line Automation
Execute automated build, deployment, and maintenance tasks directly from the terminal.
CI/CD Workflow Integration
Run non-interactive validation checks in GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or local pre-commit hooks.
Developer Environment Setup
Standardize local engineering workstations with single-binary utility commands.
Scripting & Pipeline Orchestration
Chain complex multi-stage scripts with reliable error reporting and exits.
🚀 Getting Started
Install buf using your package manager: `go install github.com/bufbuild/buf@latest`
Initialize your project workspace or configuration file for buf.
Import buf into your codebase or invoke it directly from your terminal.
Execute your test suite or run `buf --help` to verify successful setup.
👍 Strengths
⚠️ Considerations
⇄ Alternatives & Direct Competitors
👥 Who Should Use This
Developers and engineering teams building with Go, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads.
🏆 Nearby in the Rankings
bufbuild/buf is currently ranked #1,456 by stars across every repository tracked on GitHubRepo. These are adjacent projects:
| Rank | Repository | Language | Stars | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1,451 | BrasilAPI/BrasilAPI | JavaScript | ★ 11.5K | Compare ↗ |
| #1,452 | stylelint/stylelint | JavaScript | ★ 11.5K | Compare ↗ |
| #1,453 | dotnet/BenchmarkDotNet | C# | ★ 11.5K | Compare ↗ |
| #1,453 | kornia/kornia | Python | ★ 11.5K | Compare ↗ |
| #1,455 | php/frankenphp | Go | ★ 11.5K | Compare ↗ |
| #1,456 | bufbuild/buf This Project | Go | ★ 11.5K | |
| #1,456 | TencentCloud/Octop | Python | ★ 11.5K | Compare ↗ |
| #1,458 | getagentseal/codeburn | TypeScript | ★ 11.5K | Compare ↗ |
| #1,459 | CursorTouch/Windows-MCP | Python | ★ 11.5K | Compare ↗ |
| #1,460 | open-gsd/gsd-core | JavaScript | ★ 11.5K | Compare ↗ |
| #1,461 | electron/minimal-repro | JavaScript | ★ 11.4K | Compare ↗ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does buf do? +
The best way of working with Protocol Buffers.
Is buf actively maintained in 2026? +
Yes, buf is actively maintained. The latest code push was recorded on Nov 2, 2026 (11 days ago). It holds a calculated Maintenance Health Score of 100/100 (A+ rating) with 11,513 stars and 57 open issues.
What language is buf written in? +
The primary language is Go. Topics include: buf-cli, buf-schema-registry, grpc, protobuf, protoc.
How many stars does buf have? +
buf has 11,513 stars and 373 forks on GitHub.
How does buf rank among GitHub repositories? +
With 11,513 stars, bufbuild/buf is ranked #1,456 globally across all repositories tracked on GitHubRepo and #194 among Go projects.
What license is buf distributed under? +
The repository reports a Apache-2.0 license. Always verify the repository LICENSE file for legal terms.
