--- title: "determined vs FastChat" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/determined-ai-determined-vs-lm-sys-fastchat" tools: ["determined-ai-determined", "lm-sys-fastchat"] --- # determined vs FastChat *GraphCanon updated Aug 7, 2026* ## Verdict Pick determined if determined is an open-source machine learning platform that simplifies distributed training and hyperparameter tuning for PyTorch and TensorFlow applications; pick FastChat if 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. [determined](https://determined.ai) reports 3.2k GitHub stars, 373 forks, and 108 open issues, last pushed Mar 20, 2025. [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 [determined's repository](https://github.com/determined-ai/determined) and [FastChat's repository](https://github.com/lm-sys/FastChat). | | [determined](/tools/determined-ai-determined.md) | [FastChat](/tools/lm-sys-fastchat.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | An open-source machine learning platform for distributed training and resource management. | An open platform for training, serving, and evaluating large language models | | Stars | 3,227 | 39,517 | | Forks | 373 | 4,788 | | Open issues | 108 | 1,038 | | Language | Go | Python | | Adopt for | Determined is an open-source machine learning platform that simplifies distributed training and hyperparameter tuning for PyTorch and TensorFlow applications. | 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 | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | Evaluation & Observability, Model Training | Evaluation & Observability, Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks, Model Training | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [determined](/tools/determined-ai-determined.md) | [FastChat](/tools/lm-sys-fastchat.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Dormant (18%) | Slowing (36%) | | Days since push | 501d | 98d | | Open issues (now) | 108 | 1.0k | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/determined-ai-determined/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/lm-sys-fastchat/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Python**: [determined](/tools/determined-ai-determined.md) - Python runtime; [FastChat](/tools/lm-sys-fastchat.md) - Python runtime ## Decision facts: determined - **Pricing:** freemium - The open-source version under Apache License is free to use. Additional enterprise features may incur costs, though specific pricing details are not provided here. - **Requirements:** Installation involves using 'pip' for the CLI and subsequent cluster deployment steps via `det deploy`. - **Adopt for:** Determined is an open-source machine learning platform that simplifies distributed training and hyperparameter tuning for PyTorch and TensorFlow applications. - **License detail:** Apache-2.0 ## Decision facts: FastChat - **Adopt for:** 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 ## Choose when ### Choose determined if… - determined is primarily Go; FastChat is Python. - Pricing: The open-source version under Apache License is free to use. Additional enterprise features may incur costs, though specific pricing details are not provided here.. - Requirements: Installation involves using 'pip' for the CLI and subsequent cluster deployment steps via `det deploy`.. - Tags unique to determined: data-science, deep-learning, distributed-training, hyperparameter-optimization. - You require a streamlined solution for distributed model training, particularly if you are working with PyTorch or TensorFlow frameworks. ### Choose FastChat if… - FastChat is primarily Python; determined is Go. - Tags unique to FastChat: chatbots, distributed-serving, evaluation system, large language models. - Also covers Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks. - - You are looking to train and evaluate state-of-the-art models such as Vicuna or MT-Bench. ## When NOT to use determined - Seeking a platform that supports more machine learning frameworks beyond PyTorch and TensorFlow. - Your current stack does not include any of the supported infrastructures like Kubernetes or cloud services where Determined can be deployed. ## 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. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between determined and FastChat? determined: An open-source machine learning platform for distributed training and resource management.. 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 determined over FastChat? Choose determined over FastChat when determined is primarily Go; FastChat is Python; Pricing: The open-source version under Apache License is free to use. Additional enterprise features may incur costs, though specific pricing details are not provided here.; Requirements: Installation involves using 'pip' for the CLI and subsequent cluster deployment steps via `det deploy`.; Tags unique to determined: data-science, deep-learning, distributed-training, hyperparameter-optimization; You require a streamlined solution for distributed model training, particularly if you are working with PyTorch or TensorFlow frameworks. ### When should I choose FastChat over determined? Choose FastChat over determined when FastChat is primarily Python; determined is Go; Tags unique to FastChat: chatbots, distributed-serving, evaluation system, large language models; Also covers Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks; - You are looking to train and evaluate state-of-the-art models such as Vicuna or MT-Bench. ### When should I avoid determined? Seeking a platform that supports more machine learning frameworks beyond PyTorch and TensorFlow. Your current stack does not include any of the supported infrastructures like Kubernetes or cloud services where Determined can be deployed. ### 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 determined or FastChat more popular on GitHub? FastChat has more GitHub stars (39,517 vs 3,227). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are determined and FastChat open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (determined: Apache-2.0, FastChat: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to determined or FastChat? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [determined alternatives](/tools/determined-ai-determined/alternatives) and [FastChat alternatives](/tools/lm-sys-fastchat/alternatives) ([determined markdown twin](/tools/determined-ai-determined/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/determined-ai-determined-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, determined or FastChat? determined: 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 determined and FastChat? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [determined trust report](/tools/determined-ai-determined/trust); [FastChat trust report](/tools/lm-sys-fastchat/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=determined-ai-determined`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=determined-ai-determined) - 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/_