Comparison
bigcode-evaluation-harness vs lighteval
Verdict
Pick bigcode-evaluation-harness if bigcode-evaluation-harness is tailored towards evaluating autoregressive code generation models via Python and Docker containers for secure and reproducible execution environments; pick lighteval if lighteval is designed for evaluating language models across multiple backends. It integrates well with Hugging Face and provides a wide range of extras, making it particularly handy in non-Windows environments.
Markdown twin · bigcode-evaluation-harness alternatives · lighteval alternatives
GraphCanon updated 2w
vs
Trust & integrity
| Signal | bigcode-evaluation-harness | lighteval |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Dormant (378d since push) As of 2w · github_public_v1 | Steady (38d since push) As of 2w · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of 2w · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Organization account As of 2w · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | Published findings 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
- bigcode-evaluation-harness
- A framework for evaluating autoregressive code generation language models.
- lighteval
- All-in-one toolkit for evaluating LLMs across multiple backends
Stars
- bigcode-evaluation-harness
- 1.1k
- lighteval
- 2.5k
Forks
- bigcode-evaluation-harness
- 261
- lighteval
- 523
Open issues
- bigcode-evaluation-harness
- 96
- lighteval
- 366
Language
- bigcode-evaluation-harness
- Python
- lighteval
- Python
Adopt for
- bigcode-evaluation-harness
- bigcode-evaluation-harness is tailored towards evaluating autoregressive code generation models via Python and Docker containers for secure and reproducible execution environments.
- lighteval
- Lighteval is designed for evaluating language models across multiple backends. It integrates well with Hugging Face and provides a wide range of extras, making it particularly handy in non-Windows environments.
Persona
- bigcode-evaluation-harness
- -
- lighteval
- -
Runtime
- bigcode-evaluation-harness
- -
- lighteval
- -
License
- bigcode-evaluation-harness
- bigcode-evaluation-harness is distributed under the Apache-2.0 license.
- lighteval
- MIT
Last pushed
- bigcode-evaluation-harness
- Jul 22, 2025
- lighteval
- Jun 29, 2026
Categories
- bigcode-evaluation-harness
- Evaluation & Observability
- lighteval
- Evaluation & Observability
Trust and health
Maintenance
- bigcode-evaluation-harness
- Dormant (18%)
- lighteval
- Steady (60%)
Days since push
- bigcode-evaluation-harness
- 378d
- lighteval
- 38d
Open issues (now)
- bigcode-evaluation-harness
- 96
- lighteval
- 366
OSV dependency advisories
- bigcode-evaluation-harness
- Published findings
- lighteval
- No lockfile (source not queried)
Full report
- bigcode-evaluation-harness
- Trust report
- lighteval
- Trust report
Choose bigcode-evaluation-harness if…
- License: bigcode-evaluation-harness is Apache-2.0, lighteval is MIT.
- Requirements: Users must have Docker installed to leverage the isolated execution environments for model output evaluation..
- Tags unique to bigcode-evaluation-harness: autoregressive models, code generation, docker.
- bigcode-evaluation-harness ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment.
- When you need to isolate the evaluation environment from your local development setup, ensuring that no external variables affect the outcomes of model performance assessments.
When NOT to use bigcode-evaluation-harness
- When you require real-time evaluation without the overhead of generating outputs locally and then evaluating them within isolated environments via Docker.
- If your model's evaluation process does not necessitate autoregressive setup or the security features provided by Docker, using bigcode-evaluation-harness might introduce unnecessary complexity.
Choose lighteval if…
- License: lighteval is MIT, bigcode-evaluation-harness is Apache-2.0.
- Tags unique to lighteval: evaluation, evaluation-framework, evaluation-metrics, huggingface.
- When you need to evaluate the performance of various LLMs on different backend infrastructures, especially if you are working within Mac/Linux environments.
When NOT to use lighteval
- Avoid Lighteval for evaluations on Windows systems as it is currently untested and not supported there.
- Should you require a solution that does not integrate with or depend on the Hugging Face ecosystem, Lighteval might not fulfill your needs.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (bigcode-project/bigcode-evaluation-harness) · observed Aug 5, 2026
- GitHub forks (bigcode-project/bigcode-evaluation-harness) · observed Aug 5, 2026
- Last push (bigcode-project/bigcode-evaluation-harness) · observed Jul 22, 2025
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Aug 5, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 17, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub stars (huggingface/lighteval) · observed Aug 7, 2026
- GitHub forks (huggingface/lighteval) · observed Aug 7, 2026
- Last push (huggingface/lighteval) · observed Jun 29, 2026
- License file (MIT) · observed Aug 7, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 12, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: bigcode-evaluation-harness 1.1k · lighteval 2.5k (synced Aug 5, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between bigcode-evaluation-harness and lighteval?
- bigcode-evaluation-harness: A framework for evaluating autoregressive code generation language models.. lighteval: All-in-one toolkit for evaluating LLMs across multiple backends. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose bigcode-evaluation-harness over lighteval?
- Choose bigcode-evaluation-harness over lighteval when License: bigcode-evaluation-harness is Apache-2.0, lighteval is MIT; Requirements: Users must have Docker installed to leverage the isolated execution environments for model output evaluation.; Tags unique to bigcode-evaluation-harness: autoregressive models, code generation, docker; bigcode-evaluation-harness ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When you need to isolate the evaluation environment from your local development setup, ensuring that no external variables affect the outcomes of model performance assessments.
- When should I choose lighteval over bigcode-evaluation-harness?
- Choose lighteval over bigcode-evaluation-harness when License: lighteval is MIT, bigcode-evaluation-harness is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to lighteval: evaluation, evaluation-framework, evaluation-metrics, huggingface; When you need to evaluate the performance of various LLMs on different backend infrastructures, especially if you are working within Mac/Linux environments.
- When should I avoid bigcode-evaluation-harness?
- When you require real-time evaluation without the overhead of generating outputs locally and then evaluating them within isolated environments via Docker. If your model's evaluation process does not necessitate autoregressive setup or the security features provided by Docker, using bigcode-evaluation-harness might introduce unnecessary complexity.
- When should I avoid lighteval?
- Avoid Lighteval for evaluations on Windows systems as it is currently untested and not supported there. Should you require a solution that does not integrate with or depend on the Hugging Face ecosystem, Lighteval might not fulfill your needs.
- Is bigcode-evaluation-harness or lighteval more popular on GitHub?
- lighteval has more GitHub stars (2,508 vs 1,055). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are bigcode-evaluation-harness and lighteval open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (bigcode-evaluation-harness: Apache-2.0, lighteval: MIT).
- Where can I find alternatives to bigcode-evaluation-harness or lighteval?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at bigcode-evaluation-harness alternatives and lighteval alternatives (bigcode-evaluation-harness markdown twin, lighteval 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, bigcode-evaluation-harness or lighteval?
- bigcode-evaluation-harness: Dormant. lighteval: Steady. 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 bigcode-evaluation-harness and lighteval?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: bigcode-evaluation-harness trust report; lighteval trust report.