--- title: "dolly vs FastChat" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/databrickslabs-dolly-vs-lm-sys-fastchat" tools: ["databrickslabs-dolly", "lm-sys-fastchat"] --- # dolly vs FastChat *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick dolly if dolly is a large language model from Databricks, designed for both inference and training on the Databricks Machine Learning Platform. It is accessible via Hugging Face and requires specific GPU configurations for full-f; pick FastChat if fastChat is an open-source platform for training, serving, and evaluating large language models, including Vicuna, and supports Chatbot Arena, a platform. [dolly](https://www.databricks.com/blog/2023/03/24/hello-dolly-democratizing-magic-chatgpt-open-models.html) reports 11k GitHub stars, 1.1k forks, and 5 open issues, last pushed Jun 30, 2023. [FastChat](https://github.com/lm-sys/FastChat) has 40k stars, 4.8k forks, and 1.0k open issues, last pushed May 1, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [dolly's repository](https://github.com/databrickslabs/dolly) and [FastChat's repository](https://github.com/lm-sys/FastChat). | | [dolly](/tools/databrickslabs-dolly.md) | [FastChat](/tools/lm-sys-fastchat.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Databricks' Dolly, a large language model trained on the Databricks Machine Learning Platform | An open platform for training, serving, and evaluating large language models | | Stars | 10,808 | 39,536 | | Forks | 1,134 | 4,774 | | Open issues | 5 | 1,043 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | Dolly is a large language model from Databricks, designed for both inference and training on the Databricks Machine Learning Platform. It is accessible via Hugging Face and requires specific GPU configurations for full-f | FastChat is an open-source platform for training, serving, and evaluating large language models, including Vicuna, and supports Chatbot Arena, a platform for LLM evaluations with human feedback. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Dolly is licensed under the Apache-2.0 license, which is permissive and allows for free use, modification, and distribution of the software. | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks | Evaluation & Observability, Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks, Model Training | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [dolly](/tools/databrickslabs-dolly.md) | [FastChat](/tools/lm-sys-fastchat.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Dormant (18%) | Slowing (36%) | | Days since push | 1175d | 140d | | Open issues (now) | 5 | 1.0k | | Stars delta | +3 (30d) | +19 (30d) | | Open issues delta | -1 (30d) | +5 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/databrickslabs-dolly/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/lm-sys-fastchat/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: dolly - **Requirements:** Requires A100 GPUs for optimal performance.; Integration with the Databricks Machine Learning Platform is necessary for full functionality. - **Adopt for:** Dolly is a large language model from Databricks, designed for both inference and training on the Databricks Machine Learning Platform. It is accessible via Hugging Face and requires specific GPU configurations for full-f - **License detail:** Dolly is licensed under the Apache-2.0 license, which is permissive and allows for free use, modification, and distribution of the software. ## Decision facts: FastChat - **Adopt for:** FastChat is an open-source platform for training, serving, and evaluating large language models, including Vicuna, and supports Chatbot Arena, a platform for LLM evaluations with human feedback. ## Choose when ### Choose dolly if… - Requirements: Requires A100 GPUs for optimal performance.; Integration with the Databricks Machine Learning Platform is necessary for full functionality.. - Tags unique to dolly: chatbot, databricks, dolly, gpt. - When you need a language model that integrates seamlessly with the Databricks Machine Learning Platform for both training and inference. ### Choose FastChat if… - Tags unique to FastChat: chatbot arena, llm-evaluation, multi-model serving, openai-compatible apis. - Also covers Evaluation & Observability, Model Training. - When you need a platform that supports both training and evaluation of large language models, such as Vicuna, and you want to leverage human feedback for model evaluation. ## When NOT to use dolly - If your infrastructure does not support A100 GPUs or if you are unable to provision the required instance types in your region. - When you prefer not to use the Databricks Machine Learning Platform for your model training and inference needs. - If your project requires a model that is not licensed under Apache-2.0. ## When NOT to use FastChat - If you are looking for a platform that focuses solely on model training without serving or evaluation capabilities, FastChat offers a comprehensive suite that might be more than you need. - If your project does not require human feedback for model evaluation, FastChat's integration with Chatbot Arena might be an unnecessary feature. - If you are working with proprietary or closed-source models, FastChat's open-source nature and reliance on open-source models like Vicuna might not align with your project requirements. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between dolly and FastChat? dolly: Databricks' Dolly, a large language model trained on the Databricks Machine Learning Platform. 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 dolly over FastChat? Choose dolly over FastChat when Requirements: Requires A100 GPUs for optimal performance.; Integration with the Databricks Machine Learning Platform is necessary for full functionality.; Tags unique to dolly: chatbot, databricks, dolly, gpt; When you need a language model that integrates seamlessly with the Databricks Machine Learning Platform for both training and inference. ### When should I choose FastChat over dolly? Choose FastChat over dolly when Tags unique to FastChat: chatbot arena, llm-evaluation, multi-model serving, openai-compatible apis; Also covers Evaluation & Observability, Model Training; When you need a platform that supports both training and evaluation of large language models, such as Vicuna, and you want to leverage human feedback for model evaluation. ### When should I avoid dolly? If your infrastructure does not support A100 GPUs or if you are unable to provision the required instance types in your region. When you prefer not to use the Databricks Machine Learning Platform for your model training and inference needs. If your project requires a model that is not licensed under Apache-2.0. ### When should I avoid FastChat? If you are looking for a platform that focuses solely on model training without serving or evaluation capabilities, FastChat offers a comprehensive suite that might be more than you need. If your project does not require human feedback for model evaluation, FastChat's integration with Chatbot Arena might be an unnecessary feature. If you are working with proprietary or closed-source models, FastChat's open-source nature and reliance on open-source models like Vicuna might not align with your project requirements. ### Is dolly or FastChat more popular on GitHub? FastChat has more GitHub stars (39,536 vs 10,808). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are dolly and FastChat open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (dolly: Apache-2.0, FastChat: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to dolly or FastChat? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [dolly alternatives](/tools/databrickslabs-dolly/alternatives) and [FastChat alternatives](/tools/lm-sys-fastchat/alternatives) ([dolly markdown twin](/tools/databrickslabs-dolly/alternatives.md), [FastChat markdown twin](/tools/lm-sys-fastchat/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/databrickslabs-dolly-vs-lm-sys-fastchat.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, dolly or FastChat? dolly: Dormant. FastChat: 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 dolly and FastChat? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [dolly trust report](/tools/databrickslabs-dolly/trust); [FastChat trust report](/tools/lm-sys-fastchat/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=databrickslabs-dolly`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=databrickslabs-dolly) - 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/_