---
title: "holodeck vs ai-engineering-from-scratch"
type: "comparison"
canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/byu-pccl-holodeck-vs-rohitg00-ai-engineering-from-scratch"
tools: ["byu-pccl-holodeck", "rohitg00-ai-engineering-from-scratch"]
---

# holodeck vs ai-engineering-from-scratch

*GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026*

## Verdict

Pick holodeck when tags unique to holodeck: reinforcement-learning-environments, research, reinforcement-learning, ai; pick ai-engineering-from-scratch when pricing: The `ai-engineering-from-scratch` repository is free and open-source under an MIT license, but for full access to additional resources or support, a paid option may be provided. Consult official or up.

[holodeck](https://holodeck.cs.byu.edu) reports 596 GitHub stars, 42 forks, and 52 open issues, last pushed Feb 19, 2022. [ai-engineering-from-scratch](https://aiengineeringfromscratch.com) has 38k stars, 6.3k forks, and 96 open issues, last pushed Jun 25, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [holodeck's repository](https://github.com/BYU-PCCL/holodeck) and [ai-engineering-from-scratch's repository](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch).

| | [holodeck](/tools/byu-pccl-holodeck.md) | [ai-engineering-from-scratch](/tools/rohitg00-ai-engineering-from-scratch.md) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tagline | High Fidelity Simulator for Reinforcement Learning and Robotics Research. | Learn it. Build it. Ship it for others. |
| Stars | 596 | 37,922 |
| Forks | 42 | 6,329 |
| Open issues | 52 | 96 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Adopt for | - | Specifically designed for individuals looking to build a comprehensive understanding of AI tools and frameworks from the ground up. |
| Persona | - | - |
| Runtime | - | - |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Categories | Computer Vision | LLM Frameworks, AI Agents, Developer Tools, Computer Vision |

## Trust and health

_Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._

| | [holodeck](/tools/byu-pccl-holodeck.md) | [ai-engineering-from-scratch](/tools/rohitg00-ai-engineering-from-scratch.md) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Maintenance | Dormant (18%) | Active (82%) |
| Days since push | 1603d | 15d |
| Open issues (now) | 52 | 96 |
| Owner type | Organization | User |
| Security scan | No lockfile | No MCP manifest |
| Full report | [trust report](/tools/byu-pccl-holodeck/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/rohitg00-ai-engineering-from-scratch/trust.md) |

## Decision facts: ai-engineering-from-scratch

- **Pricing:** freemium - The `ai-engineering-from-scratch` repository is free and open-source under an MIT license, but for full access to additional resources or support, a paid option may be provided. Consult official or up
- **Adopt for:** Specifically designed for individuals looking to build a comprehensive understanding of AI tools and frameworks from the ground up.

## Choose when

### Choose holodeck if…

- Tags unique to holodeck: reinforcement-learning-environments, research, reinforcement-learning, ai.
- Leaner open-issue backlog (52).

### Choose ai-engineering-from-scratch if…

- Pricing: The `ai-engineering-from-scratch` repository is free and open-source under an MIT license, but for full access to additional resources or support, a paid option may be provided. Consult official or up.
- Tags unique to ai-engineering-from-scratch: deep-learning, ai-engineering, agents, llm.
- Also covers LLM Frameworks, AI Agents, Developer Tools.
- When you want to start with foundational knowledge and learn the intricacies behind AI systems.

## When NOT to use holodeck

- Last GitHub push was 1604 days ago (dormant maintenance, Feb 19, 2022). Validate activity before betting a new project on holodeck.

## When NOT to use ai-engineering-from-scratch

- If you are looking for a quick setup or ready-to-go solution without diving into the foundational understanding.
- When your project requires immediate practical application with less emphasis on self-implemented solutions from scratch.

## Common questions

### What is the difference between holodeck and ai-engineering-from-scratch?

holodeck: High Fidelity Simulator for Reinforcement Learning and Robotics Research.. ai-engineering-from-scratch: Learn it. Build it. Ship it for others.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.

### When should I choose holodeck over ai-engineering-from-scratch?

Choose holodeck over ai-engineering-from-scratch when Tags unique to holodeck: reinforcement-learning-environments, research, reinforcement-learning, ai; Leaner open-issue backlog (52).

### When should I choose ai-engineering-from-scratch over holodeck?

Choose ai-engineering-from-scratch over holodeck when Pricing: The `ai-engineering-from-scratch` repository is free and open-source under an MIT license, but for full access to additional resources or support, a paid option may be provided. Consult official or up; Tags unique to ai-engineering-from-scratch: deep-learning, ai-engineering, agents, llm; Also covers LLM Frameworks, AI Agents, Developer Tools; When you want to start with foundational knowledge and learn the intricacies behind AI systems.

### When should I avoid holodeck?

Last GitHub push was 1604 days ago (dormant maintenance, Feb 19, 2022). Validate activity before betting a new project on holodeck.

### When should I avoid ai-engineering-from-scratch?

If you are looking for a quick setup or ready-to-go solution without diving into the foundational understanding. When your project requires immediate practical application with less emphasis on self-implemented solutions from scratch.

### Is holodeck or ai-engineering-from-scratch more popular on GitHub?

ai-engineering-from-scratch has more GitHub stars (37,922 vs 596). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.

### Are holodeck and ai-engineering-from-scratch open source?

Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (holodeck: MIT, ai-engineering-from-scratch: MIT).

### Where can I find alternatives to holodeck or ai-engineering-from-scratch?

GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [holodeck alternatives](/tools/byu-pccl-holodeck/alternatives) and [ai-engineering-from-scratch alternatives](/tools/rohitg00-ai-engineering-from-scratch/alternatives) ([holodeck markdown twin](/tools/byu-pccl-holodeck/alternatives.md), [ai-engineering-from-scratch markdown twin](/tools/rohitg00-ai-engineering-from-scratch/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/byu-pccl-holodeck-vs-rohitg00-ai-engineering-from-scratch.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.

### Which is better maintained, holodeck or ai-engineering-from-scratch?

holodeck: Dormant. ai-engineering-from-scratch: Active. 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 holodeck and ai-engineering-from-scratch?

GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [holodeck trust report](/tools/byu-pccl-holodeck/trust); [ai-engineering-from-scratch trust report](/tools/rohitg00-ai-engineering-from-scratch/trust).

---

**Machine-readable endpoints**

- JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=byu-pccl-holodeck`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=byu-pccl-holodeck)
- 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/_
