--- title: "RoBO vs dragonfly" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/automl-robo-vs-dragonfly-dragonfly" tools: ["automl-robo", "dragonfly-dragonfly"] --- # RoBO vs dragonfly *GraphCanon updated Aug 4, 2026* ## Verdict Pick RoBO if roBO is a Python framework for robust Bayesian optimization using Gaussian processes and random forests; pick dragonfly if dragonfly is an open-source Python library that specializes in scalable Bayesian optimization. [RoBO](https://github.com/automl/RoBO) reports 492 GitHub stars, 129 forks, and 25 open issues, last pushed Apr 30, 2019. [dragonfly](https://github.com/dragonfly/dragonfly) has 894 stars, 238 forks, and 43 open issues, last pushed Jun 19, 2023. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [RoBO's repository](https://github.com/automl/RoBO) and [dragonfly's repository](https://github.com/dragonfly/dragonfly). | | [RoBO](/tools/automl-robo.md) | [dragonfly](/tools/dragonfly-dragonfly.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | A Robust Bayesian Optimization framework | An open source Python library for scalable Bayesian optimisation. | | Stars | 492 | 894 | | Forks | 129 | 238 | | Open issues | 25 | 43 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | RoBO is a Python framework for robust Bayesian optimization using Gaussian processes and random forests. | Dragonfly is an open-source Python library that specializes in scalable Bayesian optimization | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | BSD-3-Clause | MIT | | Categories | Model Training | Model Training | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [RoBO](/tools/automl-robo.md) | [dragonfly](/tools/dragonfly-dragonfly.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 2653d | 1141d | | Open issues (now) | 25 | 43 | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/automl-robo/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/dragonfly-dragonfly/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Python**: [RoBO](/tools/automl-robo.md) - Python runtime; [dragonfly](/tools/dragonfly-dragonfly.md) - Python runtime ## Decision facts: RoBO - **Adopt for:** RoBO is a Python framework for robust Bayesian optimization using Gaussian processes and random forests. ## Decision facts: dragonfly - **Pricing:** freemium - Available under the MIT License, free to use but does require attention to licensing when redistributing derivative works. - **Requirements:** Installation requires Python and gfortran.; Additional dependencies can be installed via the `pip` package manager. - **Adopt for:** Dragonfly is an open-source Python library that specializes in scalable Bayesian optimization ## Choose when ### Choose RoBO if… - License: RoBO is BSD-3-Clause, dragonfly is MIT. - Tags unique to RoBO: bayesian-optimization, gaussian processes, python, random forests. - For tasks requiring robust handling of noisy data in Bayesian Optimization ### Choose dragonfly if… - License: dragonfly is MIT, RoBO is BSD-3-Clause. - Pricing: Available under the MIT License, free to use but does require attention to licensing when redistributing derivative works.. - Requirements: Installation requires Python and gfortran.; Additional dependencies can be installed via the `pip` package manager.. - Tags unique to dragonfly: bayesian optimisation, python library, scalable optimisation. - When dealing with large-scale problems where traditional optimization methods may not be efficient enough. ## When NOT to use RoBO - Avoid if your project strictly requires open-source licenses other than BSD-3-Clause - Not suitable for users not comfortable installing external dependencies manually ## When NOT to use dragonfly - If the problem at hand can be effectively managed by simpler or more lightweight optimization tools; Dragonfly’s strength lies in scalability and complex scenario management. - In environments where Python or extensive dependencies are not desirable, as installing and running Dragonfly requires specific setup including gfortran for certain operations. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between RoBO and dragonfly? RoBO: A Robust Bayesian Optimization framework. dragonfly: An open source Python library for scalable Bayesian optimisation.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose RoBO over dragonfly? Choose RoBO over dragonfly when License: RoBO is BSD-3-Clause, dragonfly is MIT; Tags unique to RoBO: bayesian-optimization, gaussian processes, python, random forests; For tasks requiring robust handling of noisy data in Bayesian Optimization. ### When should I choose dragonfly over RoBO? Choose dragonfly over RoBO when License: dragonfly is MIT, RoBO is BSD-3-Clause; Pricing: Available under the MIT License, free to use but does require attention to licensing when redistributing derivative works.; Requirements: Installation requires Python and gfortran.; Additional dependencies can be installed via the `pip` package manager.; Tags unique to dragonfly: bayesian optimisation, python library, scalable optimisation; When dealing with large-scale problems where traditional optimization methods may not be efficient enough. ### When should I avoid RoBO? Avoid if your project strictly requires open-source licenses other than BSD-3-Clause Not suitable for users not comfortable installing external dependencies manually ### When should I avoid dragonfly? If the problem at hand can be effectively managed by simpler or more lightweight optimization tools; Dragonfly’s strength lies in scalability and complex scenario management. In environments where Python or extensive dependencies are not desirable, as installing and running Dragonfly requires specific setup including gfortran for certain operations. ### Is RoBO or dragonfly more popular on GitHub? dragonfly has more GitHub stars (894 vs 492). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are RoBO and dragonfly open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (RoBO: BSD-3-Clause, dragonfly: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to RoBO or dragonfly? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [RoBO alternatives](/tools/automl-robo/alternatives) and [dragonfly alternatives](/tools/dragonfly-dragonfly/alternatives) ([RoBO markdown twin](/tools/automl-robo/alternatives.md), [dragonfly markdown twin](/tools/dragonfly-dragonfly/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/automl-robo-vs-dragonfly-dragonfly.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, RoBO or dragonfly? RoBO: Dormant. dragonfly: 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 RoBO and dragonfly? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [RoBO trust report](/tools/automl-robo/trust); [dragonfly trust report](/tools/dragonfly-dragonfly/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=automl-robo`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=automl-robo) - 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/_