--- title: "LLMs-from-scratch vs tiger" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/rasbt-llms-from-scratch-vs-tigerlab-ai-tiger" tools: ["rasbt-llms-from-scratch", "tigerlab-ai-tiger"] --- # LLMs-from-scratch vs tiger *GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026* ## Verdict Pick LLMs-from-scratch when license: LLMs-from-scratch is Other, tiger is Apache-2.0; pick tiger when license: tiger is Apache-2.0, LLMs-from-scratch is Other. [LLMs-from-scratch](https://amzn.to/4fqvn0D) reports 99k GitHub stars, 15k forks, and 4 open issues, last pushed Jun 2, 2026. [tiger](https://www.tigerlab.ai) has 403 stars, 27 forks, and 7 open issues, last pushed Dec 2, 2023. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [LLMs-from-scratch's repository](https://github.com/rasbt/LLMs-from-scratch) and [tiger's repository](https://github.com/tigerlab-ai/tiger). | | [LLMs-from-scratch](/tools/rasbt-llms-from-scratch.md) | [tiger](/tools/tigerlab-ai-tiger.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Implement a ChatGPT-like LLM in PyTorch from scratch, step by step | Open Source LLM toolkit to build trustworthy LLM applications. TigerArmor (AI safety), TigerRAG (embedding, RAG), TigerTune (fine-tuning) | | Stars | 98,899 | 403 | | Forks | 15,183 | 27 | | Open issues | 4 | 7 | | 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 | Other | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | LLM Frameworks, Model Training | LLM Frameworks, Model Training, Vector Databases | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [LLMs-from-scratch](/tools/rasbt-llms-from-scratch.md) | [tiger](/tools/tigerlab-ai-tiger.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Steady (60%) | Dormant (18%) | | Days since push | 38d | 952d | | Open issues (now) | 4 | 7 | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/rasbt-llms-from-scratch/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/tigerlab-ai-tiger/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… - License: LLMs-from-scratch is Other, tiger is Apache-2.0. - Tags unique to LLMs-from-scratch: ai, artificial-intelligence, attention mechanism, deep-learning. - - You are an advanced practitioner aiming to fully understand the underpinnings of LLMs using PyTorch as your primary framework. ### Choose tiger if… - License: tiger is Apache-2.0, LLMs-from-scratch is Other. - Tags unique to tiger: ai-safety, aisafety, classification, data-augmentation. - Also covers Vector Databases. ## 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 tiger - Last GitHub push was 953 days ago (dormant maintenance, Dec 2, 2023). Validate activity before betting a new project on tiger. - 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. - 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 LLMs-from-scratch and tiger? LLMs-from-scratch: Implement a ChatGPT-like LLM in PyTorch from scratch, step by step. tiger: Open Source LLM toolkit to build trustworthy LLM applications. TigerArmor (AI safety), TigerRAG (embedding, RAG), TigerTune (fine-tuning). See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose LLMs-from-scratch over tiger? Choose LLMs-from-scratch over tiger when License: LLMs-from-scratch is Other, tiger is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to LLMs-from-scratch: ai, artificial-intelligence, attention mechanism, deep-learning; - You are an advanced practitioner aiming to fully understand the underpinnings of LLMs using PyTorch as your primary framework. ### When should I choose tiger over LLMs-from-scratch? Choose tiger over LLMs-from-scratch when License: tiger is Apache-2.0, LLMs-from-scratch is Other; Tags unique to tiger: ai-safety, aisafety, classification, data-augmentation; Also covers Vector Databases. ### 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 tiger? Last GitHub push was 953 days ago (dormant maintenance, Dec 2, 2023). Validate activity before betting a new project on tiger. 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. Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate. ### Is LLMs-from-scratch or tiger more popular on GitHub? LLMs-from-scratch has more GitHub stars (98,899 vs 403). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are LLMs-from-scratch and tiger open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (LLMs-from-scratch: Other, tiger: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to LLMs-from-scratch or tiger? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [LLMs-from-scratch alternatives](/tools/rasbt-llms-from-scratch/alternatives) and [tiger alternatives](/tools/tigerlab-ai-tiger/alternatives) ([LLMs-from-scratch markdown twin](/tools/rasbt-llms-from-scratch/alternatives.md), [tiger markdown twin](/tools/tigerlab-ai-tiger/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-tigerlab-ai-tiger.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 tiger? LLMs-from-scratch: Steady. tiger: Dormant. 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 tiger? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [LLMs-from-scratch trust report](/tools/rasbt-llms-from-scratch/trust); [tiger trust report](/tools/tigerlab-ai-tiger/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/_