--- title: "rig vs forge" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/0xplaygrounds-rig-vs-antoinezambelli-forge" tools: ["0xplaygrounds-rig", "antoinezambelli-forge"] --- # rig vs forge *GraphCanon updated Sep 30, 2026* ## 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. [rig](https://rig.rs) reports 8.7k GitHub stars, 974 forks, and 102 open issues, last pushed Sep 19, 2026. [forge](https://github.com/antoinezambelli/forge) has 2.2k stars, 173 forks, and 3 open issues, last pushed Sep 1, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [rig's repository](https://github.com/0xPlaygrounds/rig) and [forge's repository](https://github.com/antoinezambelli/forge). | | [rig](/tools/0xplaygrounds-rig.md) | [forge](/tools/antoinezambelli-forge.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Build modular and scalable LLM Applications in Rust | A Python framework for self-hosted LLM tool-calling and multi-step agentic workflows | | Stars | 8,679 | 2,248 | | Forks | 974 | 173 | | Open issues | 102 | 3 | | Language | Rust | Python | | Adopt for | 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. | 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 | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT | MIT | | Categories | AI Agents, LLM Frameworks | AI Agents, LLM Frameworks | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [rig](/tools/0xplaygrounds-rig.md) | [forge](/tools/antoinezambelli-forge.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Active (82%) | | Days since push | 0d | 19d | | Open issues (now) | 102 | 3 | | Stars delta | +351 (30d) | +31 (30d) | | Open issues delta | -11 (30d) | -1 (30d) | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/0xplaygrounds-rig/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/antoinezambelli-forge/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: rig - **Hosting:** self hosted - Self-hosted as a Rust library. - **Pricing:** freemium - Free to use under MIT license with potential premium support options. - **Adopt for:** 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. - **License detail:** MIT ## Decision facts: forge - **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. - **Adopt for:** 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. ## Choose when ### 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. ### 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 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 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. ## 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](/tools/0xplaygrounds-rig/alternatives) and [forge alternatives](/tools/antoinezambelli-forge/alternatives) ([rig markdown twin](/tools/0xplaygrounds-rig/alternatives.md), [forge markdown twin](/tools/antoinezambelli-forge/alternatives.md)), 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](/compare/0xplaygrounds-rig-vs-antoinezambelli-forge.md) 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](/tools/0xplaygrounds-rig/trust); [forge trust report](/tools/antoinezambelli-forge/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=0xplaygrounds-rig`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=0xplaygrounds-rig) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_