--- title: "Spearmint vs stanford_alpaca" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/hips-spearmint-vs-tatsu-lab-stanford-alpaca" tools: ["hips-spearmint", "tatsu-lab-stanford-alpaca"] --- # Spearmint vs stanford_alpaca *GraphCanon updated Jul 12, 2026* ## Verdict Pick Spearmint when license: Spearmint is Other, stanford_alpaca is Apache-2.0; pick stanford_alpaca when license: stanford_alpaca is Apache-2.0, Spearmint is Other. [Spearmint](https://github.com/HIPS/Spearmint) reports 1.6k GitHub stars, 328 forks, and 77 open issues, last pushed Dec 27, 2019. [stanford_alpaca](https://crfm.stanford.edu/2023/03/13/alpaca.html) has 30k stars, 4.0k forks, and 188 open issues, last pushed Jul 17, 2024. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [Spearmint's repository](https://github.com/HIPS/Spearmint) and [stanford_alpaca's repository](https://github.com/tatsu-lab/stanford_alpaca). | | [Spearmint](/tools/hips-spearmint.md) | [stanford_alpaca](/tools/tatsu-lab-stanford-alpaca.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Spearmint Bayesian optimization codebase | Code and documentation to train Stanford's Alpaca models, and generate the data. | | Stars | 1,570 | 30,250 | | Forks | 328 | 3,985 | | Open issues | 77 | 188 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | - | - | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Other | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | Vector Databases, Model Training | Vector Databases, LLM Frameworks, Model Training | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [Spearmint](/tools/hips-spearmint.md) | [stanford_alpaca](/tools/tatsu-lab-stanford-alpaca.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 2388d | 724d | | Open issues (now) | 77 | 188 | | Security scan | No lockfile | 46 low (46 low) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/hips-spearmint/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/tatsu-lab-stanford-alpaca/trust.md) | ## Choose when ### Choose Spearmint if… - License: Spearmint is Other, stanford_alpaca is Apache-2.0. - Leaner open-issue backlog (77). ### Choose stanford_alpaca if… - License: stanford_alpaca is Apache-2.0, Spearmint is Other. - Tags unique to stanford_alpaca: deep-learning, language-model, instruction-following. - Also covers LLM Frameworks. ## 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. ## When NOT to use stanford_alpaca - Last GitHub push was 724 days ago (dormant maintenance, Jul 17, 2024). Validate activity before betting a new project on stanford_alpaca. - Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate. - LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. - 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 Spearmint and stanford_alpaca? Spearmint: Spearmint Bayesian optimization codebase. stanford_alpaca: Code and documentation to train Stanford's Alpaca models, and generate the data.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose Spearmint over stanford_alpaca? Choose Spearmint over stanford_alpaca when License: Spearmint is Other, stanford_alpaca is Apache-2.0; Leaner open-issue backlog (77). ### When should I choose stanford_alpaca over Spearmint? Choose stanford_alpaca over Spearmint when License: stanford_alpaca is Apache-2.0, Spearmint is Other; Tags unique to stanford_alpaca: deep-learning, language-model, instruction-following; Also covers LLM Frameworks. ### 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. ### When should I avoid stanford_alpaca? Last GitHub push was 724 days ago (dormant maintenance, Jul 17, 2024). Validate activity before betting a new project on stanford_alpaca. Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate. LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge. ### Is Spearmint or stanford_alpaca more popular on GitHub? stanford_alpaca has more GitHub stars (30,250 vs 1,570). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are Spearmint and stanford_alpaca open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (Spearmint: Other, stanford_alpaca: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to Spearmint or stanford_alpaca? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [Spearmint alternatives](/tools/hips-spearmint/alternatives) and [stanford_alpaca alternatives](/tools/tatsu-lab-stanford-alpaca/alternatives) ([Spearmint markdown twin](/tools/hips-spearmint/alternatives.md), [stanford_alpaca markdown twin](/tools/tatsu-lab-stanford-alpaca/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/hips-spearmint-vs-tatsu-lab-stanford-alpaca.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, Spearmint or stanford_alpaca? Spearmint: Dormant. stanford_alpaca: 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 Spearmint and stanford_alpaca? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [Spearmint trust report](/tools/hips-spearmint/trust); [stanford_alpaca trust report](/tools/tatsu-lab-stanford-alpaca/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=hips-spearmint`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=hips-spearmint) - 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/_