---
title: "LocalAI vs raft"
type: "comparison"
canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/mudler-localai-vs-nvidia-raft"
tools: ["mudler-localai", "nvidia-raft"]
---

# LocalAI vs raft

*GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026*

## Verdict

Pick LocalAI if localAI is an open-source AI engine that supports running a variety of models including LLMs, vision, voice, image, and video models on any hardware without requiring a GPU; pick raft if rAFT is a collection of CUDA-accelerated algorithms for high-performance machine learning and information retrieval applications.

[LocalAI](https://localai.io) reports 49k GitHub stars, 4.5k forks, and 178 open issues, last pushed Sep 18, 2026. [raft](https://docs.rapids.ai/api/raft/stable/) has 1.0k stars, 251 forks, and 439 open issues, last pushed Sep 18, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [LocalAI's repository](https://github.com/mudler/LocalAI) and [raft's repository](https://github.com/NVIDIA/raft).

| | [LocalAI](/tools/mudler-localai.md) | [raft](/tools/nvidia-raft.md) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tagline | Open-source AI engine for running various models on any hardware | A collection of CUDA-accelerated algorithms for building high-performance machine learning and information retrieval applications. |
| Stars | 49,150 | 1,042 |
| Forks | 4,457 | 251 |
| Open issues | 178 | 439 |
| Language | Go | Cuda |
| Adopt for | LocalAI is an open-source AI engine that supports running a variety of models including LLMs, vision, voice, image, and video models on any hardware without requiring a GPU. | RAFT is a collection of CUDA-accelerated algorithms for high-performance machine learning and information retrieval applications. |
| Persona | - | - |
| Runtime | - | - |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Categories | AI Agents, Computer Vision, Data & Retrieval, Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks, Model Training, Speech & Audio | Data & Retrieval, Model Training |

## Trust and health

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

| | [LocalAI](/tools/mudler-localai.md) | [raft](/tools/nvidia-raft.md) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Days since push | 0d | 1d |
| Open issues (now) | 178 | 439 |
| Stars delta | +650 (30d) | +11 (30d) |
| Open issues delta | +22 (30d) | -5 (30d) |
| Owner type | User | Organization |
| Full report | [trust report](/tools/mudler-localai/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/nvidia-raft/trust.md) |

## Decision facts: LocalAI

- **Adopt for:** LocalAI is an open-source AI engine that supports running a variety of models including LLMs, vision, voice, image, and video models on any hardware without requiring a GPU.

## Decision facts: raft

- **Requirements:** Ensure access to NVIDIA GPUs; Compatibility with CUDA is essential for utilizing the RAFT algorithms effectively.; The user must have familiarity or develop understanding of CUDA programming to optimize their application integration with RAFT.
- **Adopt for:** RAFT is a collection of CUDA-accelerated algorithms for high-performance machine learning and information retrieval applications.

## Choose when

### Choose LocalAI if…

- LocalAI is primarily Go; raft is Cuda.
- License: LocalAI is MIT, raft is Apache-2.0.
- Tags unique to LocalAI: agents, ai, api, audio-generation.
- Also covers AI Agents, Computer Vision, Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks, Speech & Audio.
- LocalAI ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment.
- When you need to run AI models on hardware that lacks a GPU, as LocalAI supports CPU-only operations.

### Choose raft if…

- raft is primarily Cuda; LocalAI is Go.
- License: raft is Apache-2.0, LocalAI is MIT.
- Requirements: Ensure access to NVIDIA GPUs; Compatibility with CUDA is essential for utilizing the RAFT algorithms effectively.; The user must have familiarity or develop understanding of CUDA programming to optimize their application integration with RAFT..
- Tags unique to raft: anns, building-blocks, clustering, cuda.
- - You are developing on an NVIDIA GPU architecture and require optimized, CUDA-accelerated primitives.

## When NOT to use LocalAI

- If your project specifically requires GPU acceleration for performance reasons, as LocalAI can run on CPU-only setups but may not offer the same speed as GPU-accelerated alternatives.
- When you need a tool that is tightly integrated with specific cloud services or proprietary hardware, as LocalAI is designed for flexibility across different hardware types.
- If your project demands a proprietary solution with commercial support, as LocalAI is an open-source project with community-driven support.

## When NOT to use raft

- - Your application does not have access to NVIDIA GPUs, as RAFT's algorithms leverage CUDA specifically for performance gains.
- - If your workload requires more generalized machine learning libraries without a dependency on GPU-accelerated primitives and you are working in a multi-platform or cross-vendor environment.

## Common questions

### What is the difference between LocalAI and raft?

LocalAI: Open-source AI engine for running various models on any hardware. raft: A collection of CUDA-accelerated algorithms for building high-performance machine learning and information retrieval applications.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.

### When should I choose LocalAI over raft?

Choose LocalAI over raft when LocalAI is primarily Go; raft is Cuda; License: LocalAI is MIT, raft is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to LocalAI: agents, ai, api, audio-generation; Also covers AI Agents, Computer Vision, Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks, Speech & Audio; LocalAI ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When you need to run AI models on hardware that lacks a GPU, as LocalAI supports CPU-only operations.

### When should I choose raft over LocalAI?

Choose raft over LocalAI when raft is primarily Cuda; LocalAI is Go; License: raft is Apache-2.0, LocalAI is MIT; Requirements: Ensure access to NVIDIA GPUs; Compatibility with CUDA is essential for utilizing the RAFT algorithms effectively.; The user must have familiarity or develop understanding of CUDA programming to optimize their application integration with RAFT.; Tags unique to raft: anns, building-blocks, clustering, cuda; - You are developing on an NVIDIA GPU architecture and require optimized, CUDA-accelerated primitives.

### When should I avoid LocalAI?

If your project specifically requires GPU acceleration for performance reasons, as LocalAI can run on CPU-only setups but may not offer the same speed as GPU-accelerated alternatives. When you need a tool that is tightly integrated with specific cloud services or proprietary hardware, as LocalAI is designed for flexibility across different hardware types. If your project demands a proprietary solution with commercial support, as LocalAI is an open-source project with community-driven support.

### When should I avoid raft?

- Your application does not have access to NVIDIA GPUs, as RAFT's algorithms leverage CUDA specifically for performance gains. - If your workload requires more generalized machine learning libraries without a dependency on GPU-accelerated primitives and you are working in a multi-platform or cross-vendor environment.

### Is LocalAI or raft more popular on GitHub?

LocalAI has more GitHub stars (49,150 vs 1,042). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.

### Are LocalAI and raft open source?

Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (LocalAI: MIT, raft: Apache-2.0).

### Where can I find alternatives to LocalAI or raft?

GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [LocalAI alternatives](/tools/mudler-localai/alternatives) and [raft alternatives](/tools/nvidia-raft/alternatives) ([LocalAI markdown twin](/tools/mudler-localai/alternatives.md), [raft markdown twin](/tools/nvidia-raft/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/mudler-localai-vs-nvidia-raft.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.

### Which is better maintained, LocalAI or raft?

LocalAI: Very active. raft: Very active. 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 LocalAI and raft?

GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [LocalAI trust report](/tools/mudler-localai/trust); [raft trust report](/tools/nvidia-raft/trust).

---

**Machine-readable endpoints**

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