Comparison
forge vs ax
Verdict
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; pick ax if ax is a multi-language, open-source framework for TypeScript supporting numerous large language models and AI frameworks.
Markdown twin · forge alternatives · ax alternatives
GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026
14views this month
Trust & integrity
| Signal | forge | ax |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Active (19d since push) As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Very active (1d since push) As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Personal account As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Organization account As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of Jul 15, 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
- forge
- A Python framework for self-hosted LLM tool-calling and multi-step agentic workflows
- ax
- The pretty much official DSPy framework for TypeScript
Stars
- forge
- 2.2k
- ax
- 2.9k
Forks
- forge
- 173
- ax
- 195
Open issues
- forge
- 3
- ax
- 8
Language
- forge
- Python
- ax
- TypeScript
Adopt for
- 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.
- ax
- ax is a multi-language, open-source framework for TypeScript supporting numerous large language models and AI frameworks.
Persona
- forge
- -
- ax
- -
Runtime
- forge
- -
- ax
- -
License
- forge
- MIT
- ax
- Apache-2.0
Last pushed
- forge
- Sep 1, 2026
- ax
- Sep 18, 2026
Categories
- forge
- AI Agents, LLM Frameworks
- ax
- LLM Frameworks
Trust and health
Maintenance
- forge
- Active (82%)
- ax
- Very active (96%)
Days since push
- forge
- 19d
- ax
- 1d
Open issues (now)
- forge
- 3
- ax
- 8
Stars delta
- forge
- +31 (30d)
- ax
- +58 (30d)
Open issues delta
- forge
- -1 (30d)
- ax
- 0 (30d)
Owner type
- forge
- User
- ax
- Organization
Full report
- forge
- Trust report
Shared compatibility
- Python · forge: Python runtime · ax: Python runtime
Choose forge if…
- forge is primarily Python; ax is TypeScript.
- License: forge is MIT, ax is Apache-2.0.
- 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.
- Also covers AI Agents.
- 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.
Choose ax if…
- ax is primarily TypeScript; forge is Python.
- License: ax is Apache-2.0, forge is MIT.
- Tags unique to ax: ai, anthropic, claude, cohere.
- When you require support for large language models such as Claude, Gemini, GPT-4, and others within a TypeScript environment
When NOT to use ax
- When your project is predominantly in another language that lacks native support through packages checked into this repository
- If limited to environments not supporting Apache-2.0 licensed software or requiring frameworks without external dependencies for certain features like real-time audio in Go 1.23+
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- 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 (ax-llm/ax) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (ax-llm/ax) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Last push (ax-llm/ax) · observed Sep 18, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 16, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: forge 2.2k · ax 2.9k (synced Sep 20, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between forge and ax?
- forge: A Python framework for self-hosted LLM tool-calling and multi-step agentic workflows. ax: The pretty much official DSPy framework for TypeScript. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose forge over ax?
- Choose forge over ax when forge is primarily Python; ax is TypeScript; License: forge is MIT, ax is Apache-2.0; 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; Also covers AI Agents; 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 choose ax over forge?
- Choose ax over forge when ax is primarily TypeScript; forge is Python; License: ax is Apache-2.0, forge is MIT; Tags unique to ax: ai, anthropic, claude, cohere; When you require support for large language models such as Claude, Gemini, GPT-4, and others within a TypeScript environment.
- 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.
- When should I avoid ax?
- When your project is predominantly in another language that lacks native support through packages checked into this repository If limited to environments not supporting Apache-2.0 licensed software or requiring frameworks without external dependencies for certain features like real-time audio in Go 1.23+
- Is forge or ax more popular on GitHub?
- ax has more GitHub stars (2,927 vs 2,248). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are forge and ax open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (forge: MIT, ax: Apache-2.0).
- Where can I find alternatives to forge or ax?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at forge alternatives and ax alternatives (forge markdown twin, ax 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, forge or ax?
- forge: Active. ax: Very 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 forge and ax?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: forge trust report; ax trust report.