--- title: "pytorch-lightning vs hold" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/lightning-ai-pytorch-lightning-vs-zc-alexfan-hold" tools: ["lightning-ai-pytorch-lightning", "zc-alexfan-hold"] --- # pytorch-lightning vs hold *GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026* ## Verdict Pick pytorch-lightning when license: pytorch-lightning is Apache-2.0, hold is MIT; pick hold when license: hold is MIT, pytorch-lightning is Apache-2.0. [pytorch-lightning](https://lightning.ai/pytorch-lightning/?utm_source=ptl_readme&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ptl_readme) reports 31k GitHub stars, 3.8k forks, and 1.0k open issues, last pushed Jul 10, 2026. [hold](https://zc-alexfan.github.io/hold) has 486 stars, 15 forks, and 9 open issues, last pushed Mar 10, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [pytorch-lightning's repository](https://github.com/Lightning-AI/pytorch-lightning) and [hold's repository](https://github.com/zc-alexfan/hold). | | [pytorch-lightning](/tools/lightning-ai-pytorch-lightning.md) | [hold](/tools/zc-alexfan-hold.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Pretrain, finetune ANY AI model of ANY size on 1 or 10,000+ GPUs with zero code changes. | [CVPR 2024✨Highlight] Official repository for HOLD, the first method that jointly reconstructs articulated hands and objects from monocular videos without assuming a pre-scanned object template and 3D | | Stars | 31,233 | 486 | | Forks | 3,756 | 15 | | Open issues | 1,049 | 9 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | - | - | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Apache-2.0 | MIT | | Categories | Model Training, Computer Vision | Model Training, Vector Databases, Computer Vision | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [pytorch-lightning](/tools/lightning-ai-pytorch-lightning.md) | [hold](/tools/zc-alexfan-hold.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Slowing (36%) | | Days since push | 1d | 122d | | Open issues (now) | 1.0k | 9 | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Security scan | No criticals | 9 low (9 low) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/lightning-ai-pytorch-lightning/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/zc-alexfan-hold/trust.md) | ## Choose when ### Choose pytorch-lightning if… - License: pytorch-lightning is Apache-2.0, hold is MIT. - Tags unique to pytorch-lightning: data-science, deep-learning, machine-learning, python. - More GitHub stars (31k vs 486) - visibility, not fit. ### Choose hold if… - License: hold is MIT, pytorch-lightning is Apache-2.0. - Tags unique to hold: 3d-reconstruction, hand-object-reconstruction, hand-object-interaction, hand-tracking. - Also covers Vector Databases. ## When NOT to use pytorch-lightning - Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge. ## When NOT to use hold - Last GitHub push was 123 days ago (slowing maintenance, Mar 10, 2026). Validate activity before betting a new project on hold. - Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge. - Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between pytorch-lightning and hold? pytorch-lightning: Pretrain, finetune ANY AI model of ANY size on 1 or 10,000+ GPUs with zero code changes.. hold: [CVPR 2024✨Highlight] Official repository for HOLD, the first method that jointly reconstructs articulated hands and objects from monocular videos without assuming a pre-scanned object template and 3D. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose pytorch-lightning over hold? Choose pytorch-lightning over hold when License: pytorch-lightning is Apache-2.0, hold is MIT; Tags unique to pytorch-lightning: data-science, deep-learning, machine-learning, python; More GitHub stars (31k vs 486) - visibility, not fit. ### When should I choose hold over pytorch-lightning? Choose hold over pytorch-lightning when License: hold is MIT, pytorch-lightning is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to hold: 3d-reconstruction, hand-object-reconstruction, hand-object-interaction, hand-tracking; Also covers Vector Databases. ### When should I avoid pytorch-lightning? Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge. ### When should I avoid hold? Last GitHub push was 123 days ago (slowing maintenance, Mar 10, 2026). Validate activity before betting a new project on hold. Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge. Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate. ### Is pytorch-lightning or hold more popular on GitHub? pytorch-lightning has more GitHub stars (31,233 vs 486). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are pytorch-lightning and hold open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (pytorch-lightning: Apache-2.0, hold: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to pytorch-lightning or hold? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [pytorch-lightning alternatives](/tools/lightning-ai-pytorch-lightning/alternatives) and [hold alternatives](/tools/zc-alexfan-hold/alternatives) ([pytorch-lightning markdown twin](/tools/lightning-ai-pytorch-lightning/alternatives.md), [hold markdown twin](/tools/zc-alexfan-hold/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/lightning-ai-pytorch-lightning-vs-zc-alexfan-hold.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, pytorch-lightning or hold? pytorch-lightning: Very active. hold: 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 pytorch-lightning and hold? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [pytorch-lightning trust report](/tools/lightning-ai-pytorch-lightning/trust); [hold trust report](/tools/zc-alexfan-hold/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=lightning-ai-pytorch-lightning`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=lightning-ai-pytorch-lightning) - 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/_