Comparison
LlamaFactory vs ZhiLight
Verdict
Pick LlamaFactory when llamaFactory is primarily Python; ZhiLight is C++; pick ZhiLight when zhiLight is primarily C++; LlamaFactory is Python.
Markdown twin · LlamaFactory alternatives · ZhiLight alternatives
GraphCanon updated today
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Trust & integrity
| Signal | LlamaFactory | ZhiLight |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (0d since push) As of 1d · github_public_v1 | Slowing (115d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Personal account As of 1d · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Organization account As of today · github_public_v1 |
| Security (OSV) | No lockfile As of 1d · none | No lockfile As of today · none |
Tagline
- LlamaFactory
- Unified Efficient Fine-Tuning of 100+ LLMs & VLMs
- ZhiLight
- A highly optimized LLM inference acceleration engine for Llama and its variants.
Stars
- LlamaFactory
- 73k
- ZhiLight
- 905
Forks
- LlamaFactory
- 8.9k
- ZhiLight
- 103
Open issues
- LlamaFactory
- 1.1k
- ZhiLight
- 6
Language
- LlamaFactory
- Python
- ZhiLight
- C++
Adopt for
- LlamaFactory
- LlamaFactory is a sophisticated tool for fine-tuning numerous large language models and visual language models efficiently using various methods such as LoRA, QLoRA, RLHF, and quantization.
- ZhiLight
- -
Persona
- LlamaFactory
- -
- ZhiLight
- -
Runtime
- LlamaFactory
- -
- ZhiLight
- -
License
- LlamaFactory
- Apache-2.0
- ZhiLight
- Apache-2.0
Last pushed
- LlamaFactory
- Jul 10, 2026
- ZhiLight
- Mar 18, 2026
Categories
- LlamaFactory
- LLM Frameworks, Model Training
- ZhiLight
- Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks, Model Training
Trust and health
Maintenance
- LlamaFactory
- Very active (96%)
- ZhiLight
- Slowing (36%)
Days since push
- LlamaFactory
- 0d
- ZhiLight
- 115d
Open issues (now)
- LlamaFactory
- 1.1k
- ZhiLight
- 6
Owner type
- LlamaFactory
- User
- ZhiLight
- Organization
Full report
- LlamaFactory
- Trust report
- ZhiLight
- Trust report
Choose LlamaFactory if…
- LlamaFactory is primarily Python; ZhiLight is C++.
- Tags unique to LlamaFactory: agent, ai, deepseek, fine-tuning.
- When you need to fine-tune over 100 different LLMs or VLMs with efficient methods like LoRA or QLoRA.
When NOT to use LlamaFactory
- When you are looking to fine-tune less popular or niche models that are not supported within the 100+ models covered by LlamaFactory.
- If your project specifically requires custom fine-tuning methods not available in this repository, such as certain versions of PEFT (Parameter Efficient Fine-Tuning) techniques excluding LoRA and QLoa
Choose ZhiLight if…
- ZhiLight is primarily C++; LlamaFactory is Python.
- Tags unique to ZhiLight: cuda, deepseek-r1, inference-engine, llama.
- Also covers Inference & Serving.
When NOT to use ZhiLight
- Last GitHub push was 116 days ago (slowing maintenance, Mar 18, 2026). Validate activity before betting a new project on ZhiLight.
- Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic.
- 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.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (hiyouga/LlamaFactory) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub forks (hiyouga/LlamaFactory) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Last push (hiyouga/LlamaFactory) · observed Jul 10, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub stars (zhihu/ZhiLight) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub forks (zhihu/ZhiLight) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Last push (zhihu/ZhiLight) · observed Mar 18, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: LlamaFactory 73k · ZhiLight 905 (synced Jul 11, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between LlamaFactory and ZhiLight?
- LlamaFactory: Unified Efficient Fine-Tuning of 100+ LLMs & VLMs. ZhiLight: A highly optimized LLM inference acceleration engine for Llama and its variants.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose LlamaFactory over ZhiLight?
- Choose LlamaFactory over ZhiLight when LlamaFactory is primarily Python; ZhiLight is C++; Tags unique to LlamaFactory: agent, ai, deepseek, fine-tuning; When you need to fine-tune over 100 different LLMs or VLMs with efficient methods like LoRA or QLoRA.
- When should I choose ZhiLight over LlamaFactory?
- Choose ZhiLight over LlamaFactory when ZhiLight is primarily C++; LlamaFactory is Python; Tags unique to ZhiLight: cuda, deepseek-r1, inference-engine, llama; Also covers Inference & Serving.
- When should I avoid LlamaFactory?
- When you are looking to fine-tune less popular or niche models that are not supported within the 100+ models covered by LlamaFactory. If your project specifically requires custom fine-tuning methods not available in this repository, such as certain versions of PEFT (Parameter Efficient Fine-Tuning) techniques excluding LoRA and QLoa
- When should I avoid ZhiLight?
- Last GitHub push was 116 days ago (slowing maintenance, Mar 18, 2026). Validate activity before betting a new project on ZhiLight. Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic. 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 LlamaFactory or ZhiLight more popular on GitHub?
- LlamaFactory has more GitHub stars (73,157 vs 905). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are LlamaFactory and ZhiLight open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (LlamaFactory: Apache-2.0, ZhiLight: Apache-2.0).
- Where can I find alternatives to LlamaFactory or ZhiLight?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at LlamaFactory alternatives and ZhiLight alternatives (LlamaFactory markdown twin, ZhiLight markdown twin), 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 mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.
- Which is better maintained, LlamaFactory or ZhiLight?
- LlamaFactory: Very active. ZhiLight: 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 LlamaFactory and ZhiLight?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: LlamaFactory trust report; ZhiLight trust report.