---
title: "LLMs-from-scratch vs DeepCamera"
type: "comparison"
canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/rasbt-llms-from-scratch-vs-sharpai-deepcamera"
tools: ["rasbt-llms-from-scratch", "sharpai-deepcamera"]
---

# LLMs-from-scratch vs DeepCamera

*GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026*

## Verdict

Pick LLMs-from-scratch when lLMs-from-scratch is primarily Jupyter Notebook; DeepCamera is JavaScript; pick DeepCamera when deepCamera is primarily JavaScript; LLMs-from-scratch is Jupyter Notebook.

[LLMs-from-scratch](https://amzn.to/4fqvn0D) reports 99k GitHub stars, 15k forks, and 4 open issues, last pushed Jun 2, 2026. [DeepCamera](http://www.sharpai.org) has 2.9k stars, 457 forks, and 11 open issues, last pushed Jun 18, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [LLMs-from-scratch's repository](https://github.com/rasbt/LLMs-from-scratch) and [DeepCamera's repository](https://github.com/SharpAI/DeepCamera).

| | [LLMs-from-scratch](/tools/rasbt-llms-from-scratch.md) | [DeepCamera](/tools/sharpai-deepcamera.md) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tagline | Implement a ChatGPT-like LLM in PyTorch from scratch, step by step | Open-Source AI Camera Skills Platform, AI NVR & CCTV Surveillance. Local VLM video analysis with Qwen, DeepSeek, SmolVLM, LLaVA, YOLO26. LLM-powered agentic security camera agent — watches, understand |
| Stars | 98,899 | 2,893 |
| Forks | 15,183 | 457 |
| Open issues | 4 | 11 |
| Language | Jupyter Notebook | JavaScript |
| 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 | Other | MIT |
| Categories | LLM Frameworks, Model Training | LLM Frameworks, AI Agents, Model Training |

## Trust and health

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

| | [LLMs-from-scratch](/tools/rasbt-llms-from-scratch.md) | [DeepCamera](/tools/sharpai-deepcamera.md) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Maintenance | Steady (60%) | Active (82%) |
| Days since push | 38d | 23d |
| Open issues (now) | 4 | 11 |
| Owner type | User | Organization |
| Full report | [trust report](/tools/rasbt-llms-from-scratch/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/sharpai-deepcamera/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 LLMs-from-scratch if…

- LLMs-from-scratch is primarily Jupyter Notebook; DeepCamera is JavaScript.
- License: LLMs-from-scratch is Other, DeepCamera is MIT.
- Tags unique to LLMs-from-scratch: artificial-intelligence, attention-mechanism, from-scratch, generative-ai.
- - You are an advanced practitioner aiming to fully understand the underpinnings of LLMs using PyTorch as your primary framework.

### Choose DeepCamera if…

- DeepCamera is primarily JavaScript; LLMs-from-scratch is Jupyter Notebook.
- License: DeepCamera is MIT, LLMs-from-scratch is Other.
- Tags unique to DeepCamera: camera, cctv, ai-nvr, face-recognition.
- Also covers AI Agents.

## 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.

## When NOT to use DeepCamera

- LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves.
- AI Agents: Don't use an agent loop when a deterministic workflow would do; agents add latency, cost, and non-determinism.
- Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge.

## Common questions

### What is the difference between LLMs-from-scratch and DeepCamera?

LLMs-from-scratch: Implement a ChatGPT-like LLM in PyTorch from scratch, step by step. DeepCamera: Open-Source AI Camera Skills Platform, AI NVR & CCTV Surveillance. Local VLM video analysis with Qwen, DeepSeek, SmolVLM, LLaVA, YOLO26. LLM-powered agentic security camera agent — watches, understand. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.

### When should I choose LLMs-from-scratch over DeepCamera?

Choose LLMs-from-scratch over DeepCamera when LLMs-from-scratch is primarily Jupyter Notebook; DeepCamera is JavaScript; License: LLMs-from-scratch is Other, DeepCamera is MIT; Tags unique to LLMs-from-scratch: artificial-intelligence, attention-mechanism, from-scratch, generative-ai; - You are an advanced practitioner aiming to fully understand the underpinnings of LLMs using PyTorch as your primary framework.

### When should I choose DeepCamera over LLMs-from-scratch?

Choose DeepCamera over LLMs-from-scratch when DeepCamera is primarily JavaScript; LLMs-from-scratch is Jupyter Notebook; License: DeepCamera is MIT, LLMs-from-scratch is Other; Tags unique to DeepCamera: camera, cctv, ai-nvr, face-recognition; Also covers AI Agents.

### 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.

### When should I avoid DeepCamera?

LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. AI Agents: Don't use an agent loop when a deterministic workflow would do; agents add latency, cost, and non-determinism. Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge.

### Is LLMs-from-scratch or DeepCamera more popular on GitHub?

LLMs-from-scratch has more GitHub stars (98,899 vs 2,893). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.

### Are LLMs-from-scratch and DeepCamera open source?

Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (LLMs-from-scratch: Other, DeepCamera: MIT).

### Where can I find alternatives to LLMs-from-scratch or DeepCamera?

GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [LLMs-from-scratch alternatives](/tools/rasbt-llms-from-scratch/alternatives) and [DeepCamera alternatives](/tools/sharpai-deepcamera/alternatives) ([LLMs-from-scratch markdown twin](/tools/rasbt-llms-from-scratch/alternatives.md), [DeepCamera markdown twin](/tools/sharpai-deepcamera/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/rasbt-llms-from-scratch-vs-sharpai-deepcamera.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.

### Which is better maintained, LLMs-from-scratch or DeepCamera?

LLMs-from-scratch: Steady. DeepCamera: 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 LLMs-from-scratch and DeepCamera?

GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [LLMs-from-scratch trust report](/tools/rasbt-llms-from-scratch/trust); [DeepCamera trust report](/tools/sharpai-deepcamera/trust).

---

**Machine-readable endpoints**

- JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=rasbt-llms-from-scratch`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=rasbt-llms-from-scratch)
- 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/_
