--- title: "forge vs ax" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/antoinezambelli-forge-vs-ax-llm-ax" tools: ["antoinezambelli-forge", "ax-llm-ax"] --- # forge vs ax *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## 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. [forge](https://github.com/antoinezambelli/forge) reports 2.2k GitHub stars, 173 forks, and 3 open issues, last pushed Sep 1, 2026. [ax](http://axllm.dev) has 2.9k stars, 195 forks, and 8 open issues, last pushed Sep 18, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [forge's repository](https://github.com/antoinezambelli/forge) and [ax's repository](https://github.com/ax-llm/ax). | | [forge](/tools/antoinezambelli-forge.md) | [ax](/tools/ax-llm-ax.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | A Python framework for self-hosted LLM tool-calling and multi-step agentic workflows | The pretty much official DSPy framework for TypeScript | | Stars | 2,248 | 2,927 | | Forks | 173 | 195 | | Open issues | 3 | 8 | | Language | Python | TypeScript | | 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. | ax is a multi-language, open-source framework for TypeScript supporting numerous large language models and AI frameworks. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | AI Agents, LLM Frameworks | LLM Frameworks | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [forge](/tools/antoinezambelli-forge.md) | [ax](/tools/ax-llm-ax.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Active (82%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 19d | 1d | | Open issues (now) | 3 | 8 | | Stars delta | +31 (30d) | +58 (30d) | | Open issues delta | -1 (30d) | 0 (30d) | | Owner type | User | Organization | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/antoinezambelli-forge/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/ax-llm-ax/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Python**: [forge](/tools/antoinezambelli-forge.md) - Python runtime; [ax](/tools/ax-llm-ax.md) - Python runtime ## 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. ## Decision facts: ax - **Adopt for:** ax is a multi-language, open-source framework for TypeScript supporting numerous large language models and AI frameworks. ## Choose when ### 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. ### 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 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 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+ ## 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](/tools/antoinezambelli-forge/alternatives) and [ax alternatives](/tools/ax-llm-ax/alternatives) ([forge markdown twin](/tools/antoinezambelli-forge/alternatives.md), [ax markdown twin](/tools/ax-llm-ax/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/antoinezambelli-forge-vs-ax-llm-ax.md) 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](/tools/antoinezambelli-forge/trust); [ax trust report](/tools/ax-llm-ax/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=antoinezambelli-forge`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=antoinezambelli-forge) - 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/_