--- title: "caffe vs hold" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/bvlc-caffe-vs-zc-alexfan-hold" tools: ["bvlc-caffe", "zc-alexfan-hold"] --- # caffe vs hold *GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026* ## Verdict Pick caffe when caffe is primarily C++; hold is Python; pick hold when hold 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. [hold](https://zc-alexfan.github.io/hold) has 486 stars, 15 forks, and 9 open issues, last pushed Mar 10, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [caffe's repository](https://github.com/BVLC/caffe) and [hold's repository](https://github.com/zc-alexfan/hold). | | [caffe](/tools/bvlc-caffe.md) | [hold](/tools/zc-alexfan-hold.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Caffe: a fast open framework for deep learning. | [CVPR 2024✨Highlight] Official repository for HOLD, the first method that jointly reconstructs articulated hands and objects from monocular videos without assuming a pre-scanned object template and 3D | | Stars | 34,574 | 486 | | Forks | 18,458 | 15 | | Open issues | 1,209 | 9 | | Language | C++ | Python | | Adopt for | - | - | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Other | MIT | | Categories | Computer Vision, Vector Databases | Computer Vision, Model Training, Vector Databases | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [caffe](/tools/bvlc-caffe.md) | [hold](/tools/zc-alexfan-hold.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Dormant (18%) | Slowing (36%) | | Days since push | 710d | 122d | | Open issues (now) | 1.2k | 9 | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Security scan | No lockfile | 9 low (9 low) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/bvlc-caffe/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/zc-alexfan-hold/trust.md) | ## Choose when ### Choose caffe if… - caffe is primarily C++; hold is Python. - License: caffe is Other, hold is MIT. - Tags unique to caffe: c++, deep-learning, machine-learning, vision. ### Choose hold if… - hold is primarily Python; caffe is C++. - License: hold is MIT, caffe is Other. - Tags unique to hold: 3d-reconstruction, ai, artificial-intelligence, augmented-reality. - 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 hold - Last GitHub push was 123 days ago (slowing maintenance, Mar 10, 2026). Validate activity before betting a new project on hold. - Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge. - Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between caffe and hold? caffe: Caffe: a fast open framework for deep learning.. hold: [CVPR 2024✨Highlight] Official repository for HOLD, the first method that jointly reconstructs articulated hands and objects from monocular videos without assuming a pre-scanned object template and 3D. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose caffe over hold? Choose caffe over hold when caffe is primarily C++; hold is Python; License: caffe is Other, hold is MIT; Tags unique to caffe: c++, deep-learning, machine-learning, vision. ### When should I choose hold over caffe? Choose hold over caffe when hold is primarily Python; caffe is C++; License: hold is MIT, caffe is Other; Tags unique to hold: 3d-reconstruction, ai, artificial-intelligence, augmented-reality; 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 hold? Last GitHub push was 123 days ago (slowing maintenance, Mar 10, 2026). Validate activity before betting a new project on hold. Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge. Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate. ### Is caffe or hold more popular on GitHub? caffe has more GitHub stars (34,574 vs 486). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are caffe and hold open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (caffe: Other, hold: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to caffe or hold? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [caffe alternatives](/tools/bvlc-caffe/alternatives) and [hold alternatives](/tools/zc-alexfan-hold/alternatives) ([caffe markdown twin](/tools/bvlc-caffe/alternatives.md), [hold markdown twin](/tools/zc-alexfan-hold/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-zc-alexfan-hold.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, caffe or hold? caffe: Dormant. hold: Slowing. 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 hold? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [caffe trust report](/tools/bvlc-caffe/trust); [hold trust report](/tools/zc-alexfan-hold/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/_