--- title: "caffe vs Spearmint" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/bvlc-caffe-vs-hips-spearmint" tools: ["bvlc-caffe", "hips-spearmint"] --- # caffe vs Spearmint *GraphCanon updated Jul 12, 2026* ## Verdict Pick caffe when caffe is primarily C++; Spearmint is Python; pick Spearmint when spearmint is primarily Python; caffe is C++. [caffe](http://caffe.berkeleyvision.org/) reports 35k GitHub stars, 18k forks, and 1.2k open issues, last pushed Jul 31, 2024. [Spearmint](https://github.com/HIPS/Spearmint) has 1.6k stars, 328 forks, and 77 open issues, last pushed Dec 27, 2019. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [caffe's repository](https://github.com/BVLC/caffe) and [Spearmint's repository](https://github.com/HIPS/Spearmint). | | [caffe](/tools/bvlc-caffe.md) | [Spearmint](/tools/hips-spearmint.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Caffe: a fast open framework for deep learning. | Spearmint Bayesian optimization codebase | | Stars | 34,574 | 1,570 | | Forks | 18,458 | 328 | | Open issues | 1,209 | 77 | | Language | C++ | Python | | Adopt for | - | - | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Other | Other | | Categories | Vector Databases, Computer Vision | Vector Databases, Model Training | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [caffe](/tools/bvlc-caffe.md) | [Spearmint](/tools/hips-spearmint.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 710d | 2388d | | Open issues (now) | 1.2k | 77 | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/bvlc-caffe/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/hips-spearmint/trust.md) | ## Choose when ### Choose caffe if… - caffe is primarily C++; Spearmint is Python. - Tags unique to caffe: deep-learning, vision, machine-learning, c++. - Also covers Computer Vision. ### Choose Spearmint if… - Spearmint is primarily Python; caffe is C++. - Tags unique to Spearmint: python. - Also covers Model Training. ## When NOT to use caffe - Last GitHub push was 710 days ago (dormant maintenance, Jul 31, 2024). Validate activity before betting a new project on caffe. - Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate. ## When NOT to use Spearmint - Last GitHub push was 2388 days ago (dormant maintenance, Dec 27, 2019). Validate activity before betting a new project on Spearmint. - Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate. - Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between caffe and Spearmint? caffe: Caffe: a fast open framework for deep learning.. Spearmint: Spearmint Bayesian optimization codebase. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose caffe over Spearmint? Choose caffe over Spearmint when caffe is primarily C++; Spearmint is Python; Tags unique to caffe: deep-learning, vision, machine-learning, c++; Also covers Computer Vision. ### When should I choose Spearmint over caffe? Choose Spearmint over caffe when Spearmint is primarily Python; caffe is C++; Tags unique to Spearmint: python; Also covers Model Training. ### When should I avoid caffe? Last GitHub push was 710 days ago (dormant maintenance, Jul 31, 2024). Validate activity before betting a new project on caffe. Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate. ### When should I avoid Spearmint? Last GitHub push was 2388 days ago (dormant maintenance, Dec 27, 2019). Validate activity before betting a new project on Spearmint. Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate. Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge. ### Is caffe or Spearmint more popular on GitHub? caffe has more GitHub stars (34,574 vs 1,570). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are caffe and Spearmint open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (caffe: Other, Spearmint: Other). ### Where can I find alternatives to caffe or Spearmint? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [caffe alternatives](/tools/bvlc-caffe/alternatives) and [Spearmint alternatives](/tools/hips-spearmint/alternatives) ([caffe markdown twin](/tools/bvlc-caffe/alternatives.md), [Spearmint markdown twin](/tools/hips-spearmint/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/bvlc-caffe-vs-hips-spearmint.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, caffe or Spearmint? caffe: Dormant. Spearmint: 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 caffe and Spearmint? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [caffe trust report](/tools/bvlc-caffe/trust); [Spearmint trust report](/tools/hips-spearmint/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=bvlc-caffe`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=bvlc-caffe) - 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/_