--- title: "generative-ai-for-beginners vs LLMs-from-scratch" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/microsoft-generative-ai-for-beginners-vs-rasbt-llms-from-scratch" tools: ["microsoft-generative-ai-for-beginners", "rasbt-llms-from-scratch"] --- # generative-ai-for-beginners vs LLMs-from-scratch *GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026* ## Verdict Pick generative-ai-for-beginners when license: generative-ai-for-beginners is MIT, LLMs-from-scratch is Other; pick LLMs-from-scratch when license: LLMs-from-scratch is Other, generative-ai-for-beginners is MIT. [generative-ai-for-beginners](https://github.com/microsoft/generative-ai-for-beginners) reports 113k GitHub stars, 61k forks, and 7 open issues, last pushed Jul 9, 2026. [LLMs-from-scratch](https://amzn.to/4fqvn0D) has 99k stars, 15k forks, and 4 open issues, last pushed Jun 2, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [generative-ai-for-beginners's repository](https://github.com/microsoft/generative-ai-for-beginners) and [LLMs-from-scratch's repository](https://github.com/rasbt/LLMs-from-scratch). | | [generative-ai-for-beginners](/tools/microsoft-generative-ai-for-beginners.md) | [LLMs-from-scratch](/tools/rasbt-llms-from-scratch.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | 21 Lessons, Get Started Building with Generative AI | Implement a ChatGPT-like LLM in PyTorch from scratch, step by step | | Stars | 112,866 | 98,899 | | Forks | 60,628 | 15,183 | | Open issues | 7 | 4 | | Language | Jupyter Notebook | Jupyter Notebook | | Adopt for | - | LLMs-from-scratch is a project-oriented repository aimed at building PyTorch-based language models from the ground up, with detailed step-by-step instructions. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT | Other | | Categories | LLM Frameworks, Model Training | LLM Frameworks, Model Training | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [generative-ai-for-beginners](/tools/microsoft-generative-ai-for-beginners.md) | [LLMs-from-scratch](/tools/rasbt-llms-from-scratch.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Steady (60%) | | Days since push | 2d | 38d | | Open issues (now) | 7 | 4 | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/microsoft-generative-ai-for-beginners/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/rasbt-llms-from-scratch/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: LLMs-from-scratch - **Adopt for:** LLMs-from-scratch is a project-oriented repository aimed at building PyTorch-based language models from the ground up, with detailed step-by-step instructions. ## Choose when ### Choose generative-ai-for-beginners if… - License: generative-ai-for-beginners is MIT, LLMs-from-scratch is Other. - Tags unique to generative-ai-for-beginners: azure, chatgpt, dall-e, generativeai. - More GitHub stars (113k vs 99k) - visibility, not fit. ### Choose LLMs-from-scratch if… - License: LLMs-from-scratch is Other, generative-ai-for-beginners is MIT. - Tags unique to LLMs-from-scratch: artificial-intelligence, attention mechanism, deep-learning, finetuning. - - You are an advanced practitioner aiming to fully understand the underpinnings of LLMs using PyTorch as your primary framework. ## When NOT to use generative-ai-for-beginners - 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. ## When NOT to use LLMs-from-scratch - - If you are looking for a rapid deployment of an LLM without understanding its intricate structure - this tool requires extensive manual and conceptual work. - - You prefer frameworks with automatic model generation or other high-level abstractions that simplify the process. This repository emphasizes manual creation, which is more time-consuming but offers丰 - a deeper learning experience. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between generative-ai-for-beginners and LLMs-from-scratch? generative-ai-for-beginners: 21 Lessons, Get Started Building with Generative AI. LLMs-from-scratch: Implement a ChatGPT-like LLM in PyTorch from scratch, step by step. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose generative-ai-for-beginners over LLMs-from-scratch? Choose generative-ai-for-beginners over LLMs-from-scratch when License: generative-ai-for-beginners is MIT, LLMs-from-scratch is Other; Tags unique to generative-ai-for-beginners: azure, chatgpt, dall-e, generativeai; More GitHub stars (113k vs 99k) - visibility, not fit. ### When should I choose LLMs-from-scratch over generative-ai-for-beginners? Choose LLMs-from-scratch over generative-ai-for-beginners when License: LLMs-from-scratch is Other, generative-ai-for-beginners is MIT; Tags unique to LLMs-from-scratch: artificial-intelligence, attention mechanism, deep-learning, finetuning; - You are an advanced practitioner aiming to fully understand the underpinnings of LLMs using PyTorch as your primary framework. ### When should I avoid generative-ai-for-beginners? 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. ### When should I avoid LLMs-from-scratch? - If you are looking for a rapid deployment of an LLM without understanding its intricate structure - this tool requires extensive manual and conceptual work. - You prefer frameworks with automatic model generation or other high-level abstractions that simplify the process. This repository emphasizes manual creation, which is more time-consuming but offers丰 a deeper learning experience. ### Is generative-ai-for-beginners or LLMs-from-scratch more popular on GitHub? generative-ai-for-beginners has more GitHub stars (112,866 vs 98,899). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are generative-ai-for-beginners and LLMs-from-scratch open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (generative-ai-for-beginners: MIT, LLMs-from-scratch: Other). ### Where can I find alternatives to generative-ai-for-beginners or LLMs-from-scratch? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [generative-ai-for-beginners alternatives](/tools/microsoft-generative-ai-for-beginners/alternatives) and [LLMs-from-scratch alternatives](/tools/rasbt-llms-from-scratch/alternatives) ([generative-ai-for-beginners markdown twin](/tools/microsoft-generative-ai-for-beginners/alternatives.md), [LLMs-from-scratch markdown twin](/tools/rasbt-llms-from-scratch/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/microsoft-generative-ai-for-beginners-vs-rasbt-llms-from-scratch.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, generative-ai-for-beginners or LLMs-from-scratch? generative-ai-for-beginners: Very active. LLMs-from-scratch: Steady. 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 generative-ai-for-beginners and LLMs-from-scratch? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [generative-ai-for-beginners trust report](/tools/microsoft-generative-ai-for-beginners/trust); [LLMs-from-scratch trust report](/tools/rasbt-llms-from-scratch/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=microsoft-generative-ai-for-beginners`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=microsoft-generative-ai-for-beginners) - 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/_