--- title: "athina-evals vs evals" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/athina-ai-athina-evals-vs-openai-evals" tools: ["athina-ai-athina-evals", "openai-evals"] --- # athina-evals vs evals *GraphCanon updated Aug 7, 2026* ## Verdict Pick athina-evals if athina-evals is a Python SDK developed for facilitating the evaluation of outputs from large language models through predefined metrics and frameworks; pick evals if evals is an evaluation framework from OpenAI for assessing large language models and systems built with them. It includes an open-source registry of benchmarks and tools to create custom evaluations. [athina-evals](https://docs.athina.ai) reports 301 GitHub stars, 22 forks, and 3 open issues, last pushed Jun 6, 2025. [evals](https://github.com/openai/evals) has 19k stars, 3.0k forks, and 213 open issues, last pushed Apr 14, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [athina-evals's repository](https://github.com/athina-ai/athina-evals) and [evals's repository](https://github.com/openai/evals). | | [athina-evals](/tools/athina-ai-athina-evals.md) | [evals](/tools/openai-evals.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Python SDK for evaluating LLM generated responses | Framework for evaluating LLMs and LLM systems with an open-source registry of benchmarks. | | Stars | 301 | 19,127 | | Forks | 22 | 3,050 | | Open issues | 3 | 213 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | athina-evals is a Python SDK developed for facilitating the evaluation of outputs from large language models through predefined metrics and frameworks. | Evals is an evaluation framework from OpenAI for assessing large language models and systems built with them. It includes an open-source registry of benchmarks and tools to create custom evaluations. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | - | Other | | Categories | Evaluation & Observability | Evaluation & Observability | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [athina-evals](/tools/athina-ai-athina-evals.md) | [evals](/tools/openai-evals.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Dormant (18%) | Slowing (36%) | | Days since push | 417d | 115d | | Open issues (now) | 3 | 213 | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/athina-ai-athina-evals/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/openai-evals/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: athina-evals - **Adopt for:** athina-evals is a Python SDK developed for facilitating the evaluation of outputs from large language models through predefined metrics and frameworks. ## Decision facts: evals - **Adopt for:** Evals is an evaluation framework from OpenAI for assessing large language models and systems built with them. It includes an open-source registry of benchmarks and tools to create custom evaluations. ## Choose when ### Choose athina-evals if… - Tags unique to athina-evals: evaluation, evaluation-metrics, llm-eval, llm-evaluation. - When comprehensive evaluation of LLM responses is required, leveraging athina's specific tools and metrics - Leaner open-issue backlog (3). ### Choose evals if… - Tags unique to evals: benchmarking, custom eval creation, large language models, llm systems. - * When you need a comprehensive set of pre-existing evals and the ability to create your own tailored tests using specific use cases, especially within the OpenAI model ecosystem. - More GitHub stars (19k vs 301) - visibility, not fit. ## When NOT to use athina-evals - If open-source alternatives with transparent customization options are preferred over athina-evals' approach - In scenarios where API access requirements limit the ability to perform evaluations offline or in private environments ## When NOT to use evals - * When evaluating models or systems that do not benefit from being integrated with the OpenAI API, as some features like direct evals configuration in the OpenAI Dashboard require an OpenAI key. - * If you are looking for an evaluation framework that doesn’t involve external dependencies such as Git Large File Storage (LFS) and specific Python version requirements (Python 3.9 minimum), or if a ## Common questions ### What is the difference between athina-evals and evals? athina-evals: Python SDK for evaluating LLM generated responses. evals: Framework for evaluating LLMs and LLM systems with an open-source registry of benchmarks.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose athina-evals over evals? Choose athina-evals over evals when Tags unique to athina-evals: evaluation, evaluation-metrics, llm-eval, llm-evaluation; When comprehensive evaluation of LLM responses is required, leveraging athina's specific tools and metrics; Leaner open-issue backlog (3). ### When should I choose evals over athina-evals? Choose evals over athina-evals when Tags unique to evals: benchmarking, custom eval creation, large language models, llm systems; * When you need a comprehensive set of pre-existing evals and the ability to create your own tailored tests using specific use cases, especially within the OpenAI model ecosystem; More GitHub stars (19k vs 301) - visibility, not fit. ### When should I avoid athina-evals? If open-source alternatives with transparent customization options are preferred over athina-evals' approach In scenarios where API access requirements limit the ability to perform evaluations offline or in private environments ### When should I avoid evals? * When evaluating models or systems that do not benefit from being integrated with the OpenAI API, as some features like direct evals configuration in the OpenAI Dashboard require an OpenAI key. * If you are looking for an evaluation framework that doesn’t involve external dependencies such as Git Large File Storage (LFS) and specific Python version requirements (Python 3.9 minimum), or if a ### Is athina-evals or evals more popular on GitHub? evals has more GitHub stars (19,127 vs 301). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are athina-evals and evals open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub. ### Where can I find alternatives to athina-evals or evals? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [athina-evals alternatives](/tools/athina-ai-athina-evals/alternatives) and [evals alternatives](/tools/openai-evals/alternatives) ([athina-evals markdown twin](/tools/athina-ai-athina-evals/alternatives.md), [evals markdown twin](/tools/openai-evals/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/athina-ai-athina-evals-vs-openai-evals.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, athina-evals or evals? athina-evals: Dormant. evals: Slowing. 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 athina-evals and evals? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [athina-evals trust report](/tools/athina-ai-athina-evals/trust); [evals trust report](/tools/openai-evals/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=athina-ai-athina-evals`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=athina-ai-athina-evals) - 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/_