--- title: "ray vs vllm" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/ray-project-ray-vs-vllm-project-vllm" tools: ["ray-project-ray", "vllm-project-vllm"] --- # ray vs vllm Neutral, constraint-first comparison with live GitHub stats. | | [ray](/tools/ray-project-ray.md) | [vllm](/tools/vllm-project-vllm.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Unified framework for scaling AI and Python applications | Easy, fast, and cheap LLM serving for everyone | | Stars | 43,156 | 85,665 | | Forks | 7,775 | 19,107 | | Open issues | 3,455 | 5,589 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | Ray is a comprehensive distributed framework targeting both simplicity and scalability in various ML tasks like training, hyperparameter tuning, reinforcement learning, etc. It uses abstractions like Tasks, Actors, and S | vLLM is a high-throughput, memory-efficient inference and serving engine for Large Language Models (LLMs). It supports a wide range of models via Hugging Face integration and implements advanced techniques like Paged-AR/ | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Ray is open-source software released under the Apache License, Version 2.0. | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | Model Training, Inference & Serving | Inference & Serving | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [ray](/tools/ray-project-ray.md) | [vllm](/tools/vllm-project-vllm.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Open issues (now) | 3.5k | 5.6k | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/ray-project-ray/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/vllm-project-vllm/trust.md) | **Typed relationship:** ray _(integrates with)_ vllm Ray and VLLM can integrate for serving and scaling LLMs efficiently, as both tools aim at making LLM serving easy, fast, and available to everyone. ## Shared compatibility - **Python**: [ray](/tools/ray-project-ray.md) - Python runtime; [vllm](/tools/vllm-project-vllm.md) - Python runtime ## Decision facts: ray - **Pricing:** freemium - Ray core can be used freely for both personal and commercial use due to its open-source nature. Additional advanced features or support may require a premium option via Anyscale. - **Adopt for:** Ray is a comprehensive distributed framework targeting both simplicity and scalability in various ML tasks like training, hyperparameter tuning, reinforcement learning, etc. It uses abstractions like Tasks, Actors, and S - **License detail:** Ray is open-source software released under the Apache License, Version 2.0. ## Decision facts: vllm - **Adopt for:** vLLM is a high-throughput, memory-efficient inference and serving engine for Large Language Models (LLMs). It supports a wide range of models via Hugging Face integration and implements advanced techniques like Paged-AR/ ## Choose when ### Choose ray if… - Pricing: Ray core can be used freely for both personal and commercial use due to its open-source nature. Additional advanced features or support may require a premium option via Anyscale.. - Ray and VLLM can integrate for serving and scaling LLMs efficiently, as both tools aim at making LLM serving easy, fast, and available to everyone. - Tags unique to ray: reinforcement-learning, data-science, deep-learning, python. - Also covers Model Training. - - When you need to handle large-scale computations that can benefit from parallel processing across multiple machines or cores. ### Choose vllm if… - Ray and VLLM can integrate for serving and scaling LLMs efficiently, as both tools aim at making LLM serving easy, fast, and available to everyone. - Tags unique to vllm: amd, llama, deepseek, cuda. - - When you need state-of-the-art throughput with efficient attention management using **PagedAttention**. ## When NOT to use ray - - When working on small-scale projects where the overhead of setting up a distributed system outweighs the benefits, simpler local solutions might be preferable. - - If your project specifically requires deep integration with specific frameworks (e.g., extremely tight control over TensorFlow or PyTorch operations) that isn't as well-supported by Ray's abstrac - - When the development team lacks expertise in managing distributed systems and would struggle to effectively leverage Ray’s complex features without significant learning curve investment. ## When NOT to use vllm - - For users who do not require or cannot support the hardware and software dependencies such as CUDA/HIP for optimal performance. - - If your project focuses on model training rather than inference since vLLM's primary strength lies in serving and high-throughput applications. - - When you need a tool that is highly portable to older or less common architectures, given its optimization for modern GPUs and specialized hardware might not be beneficial in those scenarios. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between ray and vllm? ray: Unified framework for scaling AI and Python applications. vllm: Easy, fast, and cheap LLM serving for everyone. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose ray over vllm? Choose ray over vllm when Pricing: Ray core can be used freely for both personal and commercial use due to its open-source nature. Additional advanced features or support may require a premium option via Anyscale.; Ray and VLLM can integrate for serving and scaling LLMs efficiently, as both tools aim at making LLM serving easy, fast, and available to everyone; Tags unique to ray: reinforcement-learning, data-science, deep-learning, python; Also covers Model Training; - When you need to handle large-scale computations that can benefit from parallel processing across multiple machines or cores. ### When should I choose vllm over ray? Choose vllm over ray when Ray and VLLM can integrate for serving and scaling LLMs efficiently, as both tools aim at making LLM serving easy, fast, and available to everyone; Tags unique to vllm: amd, llama, deepseek, cuda; - When you need state-of-the-art throughput with efficient attention management using **PagedAttention**. ### When should I avoid ray? - When working on small-scale projects where the overhead of setting up a distributed system outweighs the benefits, simpler local solutions might be preferable. - If your project specifically requires deep integration with specific frameworks (e.g., extremely tight control over TensorFlow or PyTorch operations) that isn't as well-supported by Ray's abstrac - When the development team lacks expertise in managing distributed systems and would struggle to effectively leverage Ray’s complex features without significant learning curve investment. ### When should I avoid vllm? - For users who do not require or cannot support the hardware and software dependencies such as CUDA/HIP for optimal performance. - If your project focuses on model training rather than inference since vLLM's primary strength lies in serving and high-throughput applications. - When you need a tool that is highly portable to older or less common architectures, given its optimization for modern GPUs and specialized hardware might not be beneficial in those scenarios. ### Is ray or vllm more popular on GitHub? vllm has more GitHub stars (85,665 vs 43,156). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are ray and vllm open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (ray: Apache-2.0, vllm: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to ray or vllm? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at /tools/ray-project-ray/alternatives and /tools/vllm-project-vllm/alternatives (/tools/ray-project-ray/alternatives.md, /tools/vllm-project-vllm/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 /compare/ray-project-ray-vs-vllm-project-vllm.md mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, ray or vllm? ray: Very active. vllm: 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 ray and vllm? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: ray: /tools/ray-project-ray/trust; vllm: /tools/vllm-project-vllm/trust. --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=ray-project-ray`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=ray-project-ray) - 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/_