Comparison
rig vs forge
Verdict
Pick rig if rig is a Rust library designed to create modular and scalable LLM applications with extensive support for agentic workflows, multi-turn streaming, full compatibility with GenAI conventions, and integration capabilities; pick forge if developers working on self-hosted LLM tooling who need flexibility in backend setup and seamless integration of function calling in multi-step workflows might benefit from Forge.
Markdown twin · rig alternatives · forge alternatives
GraphCanon updated Sep 30, 2026
Trust & integrity
| Signal | rig | forge |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (0d since push) As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Active (19d since push) As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Personal account As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of Jul 11, 2026 · osv@v1 | No lockfile (source not queried) As of Jul 15, 2026 · osv@v1 |
| deps.dev advisories | Not queried deps.dev@v1 | Not queried deps.dev@v1 |
| OpenSSF Scorecard | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 |
Tagline
- rig
- Build modular and scalable LLM Applications in Rust
- forge
- A Python framework for self-hosted LLM tool-calling and multi-step agentic workflows
Stars
- rig
- 8.7k
- forge
- 2.2k
Forks
- rig
- 974
- forge
- 173
Open issues
- rig
- 102
- forge
- 3
Language
- rig
- Rust
- forge
- Python
Adopt for
- rig
- Rig is a Rust library designed to create modular and scalable LLM applications with extensive support for agentic workflows, multi-turn streaming, full compatibility with GenAI conventions, and integration capabilities.
- forge
- Developers working on self-hosted LLM tooling who need flexibility in backend setup and seamless integration of function calling in multi-step workflows might benefit from Forge.
Persona
- rig
- -
- forge
- -
Runtime
- rig
- -
- forge
- -
License
- rig
- MIT
- forge
- MIT
Last pushed
- rig
- Sep 19, 2026
- forge
- Sep 1, 2026
Categories
- rig
- AI Agents, LLM Frameworks
- forge
- AI Agents, LLM Frameworks
Trust and health
Maintenance
- rig
- Very active (96%)
- forge
- Active (82%)
Days since push
- rig
- 0d
- forge
- 19d
Open issues (now)
- rig
- 102
- forge
- 3
Stars delta
- rig
- +351 (30d)
- forge
- +31 (30d)
Open issues delta
- rig
- -11 (30d)
- forge
- -1 (30d)
Owner type
- rig
- Organization
- forge
- User
Full report
- rig
- Trust report
- forge
- Trust report
Choose rig if…
- rig is primarily Rust; forge is Python.
- Self-hosted as a Rust library.
- Pricing: Free to use under MIT license with potential premium support options..
- Tags unique to rig: agent, ai, artificial-intelligence, automation.
- You should use Rig when you need to work with LLM applications in Rust and want full WASM (core library) compatibility.
When NOT to use rig
- Avoid using Rig if you are working on applications that do not require or support Rust as it is specifically built to facilitate LLM operations within a Rust environment.
- Rig may not be suitable if your project cannot handle potential breaking changes, which are expected due to its rapidly evolving nature and upcoming feature updates.
Choose forge if…
- forge is primarily Python; rig is Rust.
- Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Requires Python 3.12+ and a running LLM backend.; Can be set up with local backends (e.g., llama.cpp) or Anthropic via its API, requiring an API key for the latter case..
- Tags unique to forge: agentic-ai, function-calling, multi-step-workflows, python-framework.
- forge ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment.
- - You require an agnostic backend setup, such as local LLM backends like llama.cpp or cloud-based services with Anthropic.
When NOT to use forge
- - If your application does not require flexibility in backend selection, and you prefer a single cloud provider like Anthropic without local setup.
- - For scenarios where simplicity of setup outweighs the need for customization in function calling and workflow management.
- - When working within environments strictly regulated against self-hosted infrastructure or requiring fully managed services.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (0xPlaygrounds/rig) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (0xPlaygrounds/rig) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Last push (0xPlaygrounds/rig) · observed Sep 19, 2026
- License file (MIT) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 9, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub stars (antoinezambelli/forge) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (antoinezambelli/forge) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Last push (antoinezambelli/forge) · observed Sep 1, 2026
- License file (MIT) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 17, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: rig 8.7k · forge 2.2k (synced Sep 20, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between rig and forge?
- rig: Build modular and scalable LLM Applications in Rust. forge: A Python framework for self-hosted LLM tool-calling and multi-step agentic workflows. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose rig over forge?
- Choose rig over forge when rig is primarily Rust; forge is Python; Self-hosted as a Rust library; Pricing: Free to use under MIT license with potential premium support options.; Tags unique to rig: agent, ai, artificial-intelligence, automation; You should use Rig when you need to work with LLM applications in Rust and want full WASM (core library) compatibility.
- When should I choose forge over rig?
- Choose forge over rig when forge is primarily Python; rig is Rust; Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Requires Python 3.12+ and a running LLM backend.; Can be set up with local backends (e.g., llama.cpp) or Anthropic via its API, requiring an API key for the latter case.; Tags unique to forge: agentic-ai, function-calling, multi-step-workflows, python-framework; forge ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; - You require an agnostic backend setup, such as local LLM backends like llama.cpp or cloud-based services with Anthropic.
- When should I avoid rig?
- Avoid using Rig if you are working on applications that do not require or support Rust as it is specifically built to facilitate LLM operations within a Rust environment. Rig may not be suitable if your project cannot handle potential breaking changes, which are expected due to its rapidly evolving nature and upcoming feature updates.
- When should I avoid forge?
- - If your application does not require flexibility in backend selection, and you prefer a single cloud provider like Anthropic without local setup. - For scenarios where simplicity of setup outweighs the need for customization in function calling and workflow management. - When working within environments strictly regulated against self-hosted infrastructure or requiring fully managed services.
- Is rig or forge more popular on GitHub?
- rig has more GitHub stars (8,679 vs 2,248). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are rig and forge open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (rig: MIT, forge: MIT).
- Where can I find alternatives to rig or forge?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at rig alternatives and forge alternatives (rig markdown twin, forge markdown twin), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes.
- Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison?
- Yes. The markdown twin at this comparison mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.
- Which is better maintained, rig or forge?
- rig: Very active. forge: Active. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance.
- Where are the full trust reports for rig and forge?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: rig trust report; forge trust report.