Comparison
starcoder vs FastChat
Verdict
Pick starcoder when tags unique to starcoder: python; pick FastChat when tags unique to FastChat: chatbots, distributed serving, evaluation system, large-language-models.
Markdown twin · starcoder alternatives · FastChat alternatives
GraphCanon updated today
vs
Trust & integrity
| Signal | starcoder | FastChat |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Dormant (865d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 | Steady (71d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of today · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Organization account As of today · github_public_v1 |
| Security (OSV) | 48 low (48 low) As of today · osv@v1 | No lockfile As of today · none |
Tagline
- starcoder
- Home of StarCoder: fine-tuning & inference!
- FastChat
- An open platform for training, serving, and evaluating large language models
Stars
- starcoder
- 7.5k
- FastChat
- 39k
Forks
- starcoder
- 528
- FastChat
- 4.8k
Open issues
- starcoder
- 103
- FastChat
- 1.0k
Language
- starcoder
- Python
- FastChat
- Python
Adopt for
- starcoder
- -
- FastChat
- FastChat is a comprehensive open platform for managing large language models (LLMs) that includes capabilities for training, serving, evaluating, and comparing chatbot models via web UIs and RESTful APIs. It powers ChatB
Persona
- starcoder
- -
- FastChat
- -
Runtime
- starcoder
- -
- FastChat
- -
License
- starcoder
- Apache-2.0
- FastChat
- Apache-2.0
Last pushed
- starcoder
- Feb 27, 2024
- FastChat
- May 1, 2026
Categories
- starcoder
- Inference & Serving, Model Training, Speech & Audio
- FastChat
- Evaluation & Observability, Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks, Model Training
Trust and health
Maintenance
- starcoder
- Dormant (18%)
- FastChat
- Steady (60%)
Days since push
- starcoder
- 865d
- FastChat
- 71d
Open issues (now)
- starcoder
- 103
- FastChat
- 1.0k
Security scan
- starcoder
- 48 low (48 low)
- FastChat
- No lockfile
Full report
- starcoder
- Trust report
- FastChat
- Trust report
Shared compatibility
- Python · starcoder: Python runtime · FastChat: Python runtime
Choose starcoder if…
- Tags unique to starcoder: python.
- Also covers Speech & Audio.
- Leaner open-issue backlog (103).
When NOT to use starcoder
- Last GitHub push was 866 days ago (dormant maintenance, Feb 27, 2024). Validate activity before betting a new project on starcoder.
- Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic.
- Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge.
Choose FastChat if…
- Tags unique to FastChat: chatbots, distributed serving, evaluation system, large-language-models.
- Also covers Evaluation & Observability, LLM Frameworks.
- - You are looking to train and evaluate state-of-the-art models such as Vicuna or MT-Bench.
When NOT to use FastChat
- - You require a proprietary or closed-source framework; FastChat is open-source under Apache-2.0 license and its use might be unsuitable for environments requiring proprietary solutions.
- - Your chatbot evaluation needs do not align with the types of data used in FastChat's datasets (e.g., human votes, MT-Bench evaluations).
- - You prefer a more user-friendly setup without the need to clone a repository and manually install dependencies; FastChat requires installation from source with additional steps for Rust and CMake on
- + Mac.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (bigcode-project/starcoder) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub forks (bigcode-project/starcoder) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Last push (bigcode-project/starcoder) · observed Feb 27, 2024
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub stars (lm-sys/FastChat) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub forks (lm-sys/FastChat) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Last push (lm-sys/FastChat) · observed May 1, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: starcoder 7.5k · FastChat 39k (synced Jul 11, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between starcoder and FastChat?
- starcoder: Home of StarCoder: fine-tuning & inference!. FastChat: An open platform for training, serving, and evaluating large language models. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose starcoder over FastChat?
- Choose starcoder over FastChat when Tags unique to starcoder: python; Also covers Speech & Audio; Leaner open-issue backlog (103).
- When should I choose FastChat over starcoder?
- Choose FastChat over starcoder when Tags unique to FastChat: chatbots, distributed serving, evaluation system, large-language-models; Also covers Evaluation & Observability, LLM Frameworks; - You are looking to train and evaluate state-of-the-art models such as Vicuna or MT-Bench.
- When should I avoid starcoder?
- Last GitHub push was 866 days ago (dormant maintenance, Feb 27, 2024). Validate activity before betting a new project on starcoder. Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic. Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge.
- When should I avoid FastChat?
- - You require a proprietary or closed-source framework; FastChat is open-source under Apache-2.0 license and its use might be unsuitable for environments requiring proprietary solutions. - Your chatbot evaluation needs do not align with the types of data used in FastChat's datasets (e.g., human votes, MT-Bench evaluations). - You prefer a more user-friendly setup without the need to clone a repository and manually install dependencies; FastChat requires installation from source with additional steps for Rust and CMake on + Mac.
- Is starcoder or FastChat more popular on GitHub?
- FastChat has more GitHub stars (39,490 vs 7,508). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are starcoder and FastChat open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (starcoder: Apache-2.0, FastChat: Apache-2.0).
- Where can I find alternatives to starcoder or FastChat?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at starcoder alternatives and FastChat alternatives (starcoder markdown twin, FastChat 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, starcoder or FastChat?
- starcoder: Dormant. FastChat: 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 starcoder and FastChat?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: starcoder trust report; FastChat trust report.