Source: https://seerepo.com/compare/tiann/KernelSU/vs/topjohnwu/Magisk
Markdown source: https://seerepo.com/compare/tiann/KernelSU/vs/topjohnwu/Magisk.md
Description: KernelSU and Magisk share 4 technologies: Jetpack Compose, lifecycle-runtime-compose, androidx.core:core-splashscreen, and androidx.compose.material:material-icons-extended. Both are written in Kotlin.

# KernelSU vs Magisk

KernelSU and Magisk share 4 technologies: Jetpack Compose, lifecycle-runtime-compose, androidx.core:core-splashscreen, and androidx.compose.material:material-icons-extended. Both are written in Kotlin.

- [tiann/KernelSU](https://seerepo.com/r/tiann/KernelSU): A Kernel based root solution for Android
- [topjohnwu/Magisk](https://seerepo.com/r/topjohnwu/Magisk): The Magic Mask for Android

## What they share and what sets them apart

- In common: Jetpack Compose, lifecycle-runtime-compose, androidx.core:core-splashscreen, androidx.compose.material:material-icons-extended
- Only in KernelSU: androidx.navigationevent:navigationevent-compose, lifecycle-runtime-ktx, com.materialkolor:material-kolor, commonmark-ext-gfm-tables, zip, org.commonmark:commonmark, log, android_logger, env_logger
- Only in Magisk: androidx.navigation3:navigation3-runtime, androidx.window:window-core, androidx.lifecycle:lifecycle-viewmodel-navigation3, androidx.navigation3:navigation3-ui, activity-compose, core-ktx, material3-adaptive-navigation-suite, androidx.compose.animation:animation, Google, room-ktx, room-runtime, com.jakewharton.timber:timber

## Side by side

| | KernelSU | Magisk |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 63,218 lines written, 289 code files | 43,581 lines written, 189 code files |
| Who writes it | 0.4% of its commits signed by AI. With GitHub Copilot | 2.4% of its commits signed by AI. With Gemini CLI, Cursor, and Claude Code |
| Activity | Last push November 4, 2026, 2,705 commits, 20,138 stars | Last push October 27, 2026, 7,867 commits, 63,775 stars |
| Tests | 12 test files. 5.2% of its code files have a test that imports them | 6 test files. 9.5% of its code files have a test that imports them |

- Size: Lines written by people and agents, without generated ones; code files, without tests.
- Who writes it: A commit counts as AI's when it carries its signature: a Co-Authored-By line, its author name or the merge of its branch.
- Activity: From GitHub and its history, on the day SeeRepo read it.
- Tests: The files that test the code, and the share of code files a test imports.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which is bigger, KernelSU or Magisk?

KernelSU, with 63,218 lines written; Magisk has 43,581.

The proof: [tiann/KernelSU's code at commit 28db74f](https://github.com/tiann/KernelSU/tree/28db74f6f4692e97006ce9ebd8b19b9cc614b5b7)

### Which has more GitHub stars, KernelSU or Magisk?

Magisk, with 63,775 stars; KernelSU has 20,138.

The proof: [topjohnwu/Magisk on GitHub](https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk)

### Which has more tests, KernelSU or Magisk?

KernelSU, with 12 test files; Magisk has 6.

The proof: [tiann/KernelSU's code at commit 28db74f](https://github.com/tiann/KernelSU/tree/28db74f6f4692e97006ce9ebd8b19b9cc614b5b7)

### Which was updated more recently, KernelSU or Magisk?

KernelSU: its last push was on November 4, 2026, and Magisk's on October 27, 2026.

The proof: [tiann/KernelSU's commits on GitHub](https://github.com/tiann/KernelSU/commits)

### Which has more commits signed by AI, KernelSU or Magisk?

Magisk: an AI signed 2.4% of its commits, with Gemini CLI, Cursor, and Claude Code; in KernelSU, 0.4%.

The proof: [the commits each tool signed in topjohnwu/Magisk](https://seerepo.com/r/topjohnwu/Magisk/ai)

## Sources

- tiann/KernelSU: Read on November 5, 2026, at commit 28db74f (https://github.com/tiann/KernelSU/tree/28db74f6f4692e97006ce9ebd8b19b9cc614b5b7)
- topjohnwu/Magisk: Read on November 5, 2026, at commit 33bfff7 (https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk/tree/33bfff7ce750c27f157ddb4580e36bf842d6d95b)

## What is your repo built with?

Any public repo, with no account: https://seerepo.com/r/owner/repo/built, with the owner and name it has on GitHub.