--- title: "llm vs exllama" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/simonw-llm-vs-turboderp-exllama" tools: ["simonw-llm", "turboderp-exllama"] --- # llm vs exllama *GraphCanon updated Jul 12, 2026* ## Verdict Pick llm when license: llm is Apache-2.0, exllama is MIT; pick exllama when license: exllama is MIT, llm is Apache-2.0. [llm](https://llm.datasette.io) reports 12k GitHub stars, 920 forks, and 645 open issues, last pushed Jul 9, 2026. [exllama](https://github.com/turboderp/exllama) has 2.9k stars, 223 forks, and 65 open issues, last pushed Sep 30, 2023. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [llm's repository](https://github.com/simonw/llm) and [exllama's repository](https://github.com/turboderp/exllama). | | [llm](/tools/simonw-llm.md) | [exllama](/tools/turboderp-exllama.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Access large language models from the command-line | More memory-efficient rewrite of HF transformers for Llama with quantized weights | | Stars | 12,172 | 2,930 | | Forks | 920 | 223 | | Open issues | 645 | 65 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | Decision-critical facts for 'llm' | - | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Apache-2.0 | MIT | | Categories | LLM Frameworks, Inference & Serving | LLM Frameworks, Inference & Serving | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [llm](/tools/simonw-llm.md) | [exllama](/tools/turboderp-exllama.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Dormant (18%) | | Days since push | 1d | 1014d | | Open issues (now) | 645 | 65 | | Security scan | No lockfile | 29 low (29 low) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/simonw-llm/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/turboderp-exllama/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: llm - **Requirements:** - Installation supports multiple methods including `pip`, Homebrew (with caveats noted), `pipx`, and `uv`.; - Requires an OpenAI API key for certain functionalities. - **Adopt for:** Decision-critical facts for 'llm' - **License detail:** Apache-2.0 ## Choose when ### Choose llm if… - License: llm is Apache-2.0, exllama is MIT. - Requirements: - Installation supports multiple methods including `pip`, Homebrew (with caveats noted), `pipx`, and `uv`.; - Requires an OpenAI API key for certain functionalities.. - Tags unique to llm: llms, ai, openai. - - You prioritize command-line interaction over graphical interfaces, as llm is designed to provide a seamless CLI experience with multiple installation methods. ### Choose exllama if… - License: exllama is MIT, llm is Apache-2.0. - Tags unique to exllama: nvidia support, gpu optimization, memory efficiency, docker container support. - exllama ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. ## When NOT to use llm - - If you require real-time visual feedback or a graphical interface for interacting with language models, as llm is strictly command-line-based. - - If your primary focus is on model training rather than inference or serving, since llm is aimed at accessing and using pre-trained models. ## When NOT to use exllama - Last GitHub push was 1015 days ago (dormant maintenance, Sep 30, 2023). Validate activity before betting a new project on exllama. - LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. - Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between llm and exllama? llm: Access large language models from the command-line. exllama: More memory-efficient rewrite of HF transformers for Llama with quantized weights. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose llm over exllama? Choose llm over exllama when License: llm is Apache-2.0, exllama is MIT; Requirements: - Installation supports multiple methods including `pip`, Homebrew (with caveats noted), `pipx`, and `uv`.; - Requires an OpenAI API key for certain functionalities.; Tags unique to llm: llms, ai, openai; - You prioritize command-line interaction over graphical interfaces, as llm is designed to provide a seamless CLI experience with multiple installation methods. ### When should I choose exllama over llm? Choose exllama over llm when License: exllama is MIT, llm is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to exllama: nvidia support, gpu optimization, memory efficiency, docker container support; exllama ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. ### When should I avoid llm? - If you require real-time visual feedback or a graphical interface for interacting with language models, as llm is strictly command-line-based. - If your primary focus is on model training rather than inference or serving, since llm is aimed at accessing and using pre-trained models. ### When should I avoid exllama? Last GitHub push was 1015 days ago (dormant maintenance, Sep 30, 2023). Validate activity before betting a new project on exllama. LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic. ### Is llm or exllama more popular on GitHub? llm has more GitHub stars (12,172 vs 2,930). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are llm and exllama open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (llm: Apache-2.0, exllama: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to llm or exllama? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [llm alternatives](/tools/simonw-llm/alternatives) and [exllama alternatives](/tools/turboderp-exllama/alternatives) ([llm markdown twin](/tools/simonw-llm/alternatives.md), [exllama markdown twin](/tools/turboderp-exllama/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/simonw-llm-vs-turboderp-exllama.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, llm or exllama? llm: Very active. exllama: 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 llm and exllama? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [llm trust report](/tools/simonw-llm/trust); [exllama trust report](/tools/turboderp-exllama/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=simonw-llm`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=simonw-llm) - 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/_