---
title: "airllm vs codellama"
type: "comparison"
canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/lyogavin-airllm-vs-meta-llama-codellama"
tools: ["lyogavin-airllm", "meta-llama-codellama"]
---

# airllm vs codellama

*GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026*

## Verdict

Pick airllm when airllm is primarily Jupyter Notebook; codellama is Python; pick codellama when codellama is primarily Python; airllm is Jupyter Notebook.

[airllm](https://github.com/lyogavin/airllm) reports 22k GitHub stars, 2.6k forks, and 106 open issues, last pushed Jul 11, 2026. [codellama](https://github.com/meta-llama/codellama) has 16k stars, 1.9k forks, and 116 open issues, last pushed Aug 12, 2024. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [airllm's repository](https://github.com/lyogavin/airllm) and [codellama's repository](https://github.com/meta-llama/codellama).

| | [airllm](/tools/lyogavin-airllm.md) | [codellama](/tools/meta-llama-codellama.md) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tagline | AirLLM 70B inference with single 4GB GPU | Inference code for CodeLlama models |
| Stars | 22,399 | 16,298 |
| Forks | 2,581 | 1,941 |
| Open issues | 106 | 116 |
| Language | Jupyter Notebook | Python |
| Adopt for | AirLLM is a notable framework designed specifically for running large language models on low-resource hardware, such as a single 4GB GPU. | - |
| Persona | - | - |
| Runtime | - | - |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Other |
| Categories | Inference & Serving | Inference & Serving |

## Trust and health

_Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._

| | [airllm](/tools/lyogavin-airllm.md) | [codellama](/tools/meta-llama-codellama.md) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Archived (8%) |
| Days since push | 0d | 698d |
| Archived on GitHub | No | Yes |
| Open issues (now) | 106 | 116 |
| Owner type | User | Organization |
| Security scan | 4 low (4 low) | No criticals |
| Full report | [trust report](/tools/lyogavin-airllm/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/meta-llama-codellama/trust.md) |

## Decision facts: airllm

- **Pricing:** freemium - Free and open-source under the Apache-2.0 license; however, infrastructure costs apply.
- **Requirements:** Min 16 GB RAM; A single 4GB GPU is sufficient for using this framework to run large language model inferences.
- **Adopt for:** AirLLM is a notable framework designed specifically for running large language models on low-resource hardware, such as a single 4GB GPU.
- **License detail:** Apache-2.0

## Choose when

### Choose airllm if…

- airllm is primarily Jupyter Notebook; codellama is Python.
- License: airllm is Apache-2.0, codellama is Other.
- Pricing: Free and open-source under the Apache-2.0 license; however, infrastructure costs apply..
- Requirements: Min 16 GB RAM; A single 4GB GPU is sufficient for using this framework to run large language model inferences..
- Tags unique to airllm: llama, chinese llm, llm, instruct-gpt.
- If you have limited hardware resources but need to perform inferences on large language models (like the 70B parameter model that AirLLM supports), use AirLLM.

### Choose codellama if…

- codellama is primarily Python; airllm is Jupyter Notebook.
- License: codellama is Other, airllm is Apache-2.0.
- Tags unique to codellama: python.

## When NOT to use airllm

- Avoid using AirLLM if you require models to run on higher-end GPUs or multiple GPU clusters, as its strength lies in low-resource efficiency.
- Do not use AirLLM if you are working primarily with non-Chinese language datasets and models, since support for other languages may be less optimized compared to competition.

## When NOT to use codellama

- codellama is archived on GitHub. Prefer an active alternative unless you maintain a private fork or need a frozen dependency.
- Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic.

## Common questions

### What is the difference between airllm and codellama?

airllm: AirLLM 70B inference with single 4GB GPU. codellama: Inference code for CodeLlama models. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.

### When should I choose airllm over codellama?

Choose airllm over codellama when airllm is primarily Jupyter Notebook; codellama is Python; License: airllm is Apache-2.0, codellama is Other; Pricing: Free and open-source under the Apache-2.0 license; however, infrastructure costs apply.; Requirements: Min 16 GB RAM; A single 4GB GPU is sufficient for using this framework to run large language model inferences.; Tags unique to airllm: llama, chinese llm, llm, instruct-gpt; If you have limited hardware resources but need to perform inferences on large language models (like the 70B parameter model that AirLLM supports), use AirLLM.

### When should I choose codellama over airllm?

Choose codellama over airllm when codellama is primarily Python; airllm is Jupyter Notebook; License: codellama is Other, airllm is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to codellama: python.

### When should I avoid airllm?

Avoid using AirLLM if you require models to run on higher-end GPUs or multiple GPU clusters, as its strength lies in low-resource efficiency. Do not use AirLLM if you are working primarily with non-Chinese language datasets and models, since support for other languages may be less optimized compared to competition.

### When should I avoid codellama?

codellama is archived on GitHub. Prefer an active alternative unless you maintain a private fork or need a frozen dependency. Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic.

### Is airllm or codellama more popular on GitHub?

airllm has more GitHub stars (22,399 vs 16,298). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.

### Are airllm and codellama open source?

Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (airllm: Apache-2.0, codellama: Other).

### Where can I find alternatives to airllm or codellama?

GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [airllm alternatives](/tools/lyogavin-airllm/alternatives) and [codellama alternatives](/tools/meta-llama-codellama/alternatives) ([airllm markdown twin](/tools/lyogavin-airllm/alternatives.md), [codellama markdown twin](/tools/meta-llama-codellama/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/lyogavin-airllm-vs-meta-llama-codellama.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.

### Which is better maintained, airllm or codellama?

airllm: Very active. codellama: Archived. 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 airllm and codellama?

GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [airllm trust report](/tools/lyogavin-airllm/trust); [codellama trust report](/tools/meta-llama-codellama/trust).

---

**Machine-readable endpoints**

- JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=lyogavin-airllm`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=lyogavin-airllm)
- 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/_
