--- title: "athina-evals vs helm" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/athina-ai-athina-evals-vs-stanford-crfm-helm" tools: ["athina-ai-athina-evals", "stanford-crfm-helm"] --- # athina-evals vs helm *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 helm if helm is an open-source Python framework for evaluating foundation models, including LLMs and multimodal models. It emphasizes holistic, reproducible, and transparent evaluation processes. [athina-evals](https://docs.athina.ai) reports 301 GitHub stars, 22 forks, and 3 open issues, last pushed Jun 6, 2025. [helm](https://crfm.stanford.edu/helm) has 2.9k stars, 406 forks, and 90 open issues, last pushed Aug 1, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [athina-evals's repository](https://github.com/athina-ai/athina-evals) and [helm's repository](https://github.com/stanford-crfm/helm). | | [athina-evals](/tools/athina-ai-athina-evals.md) | [helm](/tools/stanford-crfm-helm.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Python SDK for evaluating LLM generated responses | Holistic, reproducible and transparent evaluation of foundation models | | Stars | 301 | 2,873 | | Forks | 22 | 406 | | Open issues | 3 | 90 | | 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. | Helm is an open-source Python framework for evaluating foundation models, including LLMs and multimodal models. It emphasizes holistic, reproducible, and transparent evaluation processes. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | - | Apache-2.0 | | 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) | [helm](/tools/stanford-crfm-helm.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Dormant (18%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 417d | 5d | | Open issues (now) | 3 | 90 | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/athina-ai-athina-evals/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/stanford-crfm-helm/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: helm - **Adopt for:** Helm is an open-source Python framework for evaluating foundation models, including LLMs and multimodal models. It emphasizes holistic, reproducible, and transparent evaluation processes. ## Choose when ### Choose athina-evals if… - Tags unique to athina-evals: evaluation-framework, 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 helm if… - Tags unique to helm: foundation-models, framework, language-models. - When you need a comprehensive tool to evaluate the performance of large language models (LLMs) and other types of foundation models in a standardized way. - More GitHub stars (2.9k 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 helm - Helm may not be suitable if you are working with smaller scale projects that do not require extensive, holistic evaluation capabilities associated with foundation models. - If your framework of choice already provides sufficient evaluation tools or processes for foundation models, adding Helm might introduce unnecessary complexity. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between athina-evals and helm? athina-evals: Python SDK for evaluating LLM generated responses. helm: Holistic, reproducible and transparent evaluation of foundation models. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose athina-evals over helm? Choose athina-evals over helm when Tags unique to athina-evals: evaluation-framework, 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 helm over athina-evals? Choose helm over athina-evals when Tags unique to helm: foundation-models, framework, language-models; When you need a comprehensive tool to evaluate the performance of large language models (LLMs) and other types of foundation models in a standardized way; More GitHub stars (2.9k 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 helm? Helm may not be suitable if you are working with smaller scale projects that do not require extensive, holistic evaluation capabilities associated with foundation models. If your framework of choice already provides sufficient evaluation tools or processes for foundation models, adding Helm might introduce unnecessary complexity. ### Is athina-evals or helm more popular on GitHub? helm has more GitHub stars (2,873 vs 301). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are athina-evals and helm open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub. ### Where can I find alternatives to athina-evals or helm? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [athina-evals alternatives](/tools/athina-ai-athina-evals/alternatives) and [helm alternatives](/tools/stanford-crfm-helm/alternatives) ([athina-evals markdown twin](/tools/athina-ai-athina-evals/alternatives.md), [helm markdown twin](/tools/stanford-crfm-helm/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-stanford-crfm-helm.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, athina-evals or helm? athina-evals: Dormant. helm: 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 athina-evals and helm? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [athina-evals trust report](/tools/athina-ai-athina-evals/trust); [helm trust report](/tools/stanford-crfm-helm/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/_