Comparison
forge vs lmql
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 lmql if facilitates LLM programming with constraints for efficiency, Python-based.
Markdown twin · forge alternatives · lmql alternatives
GraphCanon updated 1w
Trust & integrity
| Signal | forge | lmql |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (0d since push) As of 1w · github_public_v1 | Dormant (450d since push) As of 1w · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Personal account As of 1w · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Organization account As of 1w · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of 1mo · osv@v1 | No lockfile (source not queried) As of 1mo · 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
- lmql
- A language for constraint-guided and efficient LLM programming.
Stars
- forge
- 2.2k
- lmql
- 4.2k
Forks
- forge
- 173
- lmql
- 221
Open issues
- forge
- 4
- lmql
- 120
Language
- forge
- Python
- lmql
- Python
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.
- lmql
- Facilitates LLM programming with constraints for efficiency, Python-based.
Persona
- forge
- -
- lmql
- -
Runtime
- forge
- -
- lmql
- -
License
- forge
- MIT
- lmql
- Apache-2.0
Last pushed
- forge
- Aug 13, 2026
- lmql
- May 22, 2025
Categories
- forge
- AI Agents, LLM Frameworks
- lmql
- LLM Frameworks
Trust and health
Maintenance
- forge
- Very active (96%)
- lmql
- Dormant (18%)
Days since push
- forge
- 0d
- lmql
- 450d
Open issues (now)
- forge
- 4
- lmql
- 120
Stars delta
- forge
- Unknown
- lmql
- +1 (30d)
Open issues delta
- forge
- Unknown
- lmql
- 0 (30d)
Owner type
- forge
- User
- lmql
- Organization
Full report
- forge
- Trust report
- lmql
- Trust report
Shared compatibility
- Python · forge: Python runtime · lmql: Python runtime
Choose forge if…
- License: forge is MIT, lmql 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 lmql if…
- License: lmql is Apache-2.0, forge is MIT.
- Tags unique to lmql: chatgpt, huggingface, language-model, programming-language.
- When needing precise control over language model output through programmable constraints
When NOT to use lmql
- For general-purpose coding without leveraging specific LLM functionalities
- If the project does not benefit from constraint-guided interactions with language models
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 Aug 14, 2026
- GitHub forks (antoinezambelli/forge) · observed Aug 14, 2026
- Last push (antoinezambelli/forge) · observed Aug 13, 2026
- License file (MIT) · observed Aug 14, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 17, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- GitHub stars (eth-sri/lmql) · observed Aug 16, 2026
- GitHub forks (eth-sri/lmql) · observed Aug 16, 2026
- Last push (eth-sri/lmql) · observed May 22, 2025
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Aug 16, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 14, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: forge 2.2k · lmql 4.2k (synced Aug 14, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between forge and lmql?
- forge: A Python framework for self-hosted LLM tool-calling and multi-step agentic workflows. lmql: A language for constraint-guided and efficient LLM programming.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose forge over lmql?
- Choose forge over lmql when License: forge is MIT, lmql 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 lmql over forge?
- Choose lmql over forge when License: lmql is Apache-2.0, forge is MIT; Tags unique to lmql: chatgpt, huggingface, language-model, programming-language; When needing precise control over language model output through programmable constraints.
- 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 lmql?
- For general-purpose coding without leveraging specific LLM functionalities If the project does not benefit from constraint-guided interactions with language models
- Is forge or lmql more popular on GitHub?
- lmql has more GitHub stars (4,203 vs 2,217). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are forge and lmql open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (forge: MIT, lmql: Apache-2.0).
- Where can I find alternatives to forge or lmql?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at forge alternatives and lmql alternatives (forge markdown twin, lmql 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 lmql?
- forge: Very active. lmql: Dormant. 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 lmql?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: forge trust report; lmql trust report.