head to head · open source
vllm vs LiteLLM
vllm has 96,158 GitHub stars, 24,317 forks, 7,953 open issues and last shipped yesterday. LiteLLM has 62,569 stars, 12,940 forks, 5,022 open issues and last shipped yesterday. vllm leads on adoption by 54% (96,158 vs 62,569 stars). vllm is written in Python under Apache-2.0; LiteLLM is written in Python under a custom or non-standard licence. vllm has attracted 25% as many forks as stars, LiteLLM 21%. LiteLLM was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (llm), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| vllm | LiteLLM | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 96K | ★ 63K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 24K | ⑂ 13K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick vllm if
- You weight community size — 96K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick LiteLLM if
- You want the LiteLLM feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and LiteLLM fits your workflow better
About vllm
Easy, fast, and cheap LLM serving for everyone 🔥 We have built a vLLM website to help you get started with vLLM. Please visit vllm.ai to learn more. For events, please visit vllm.ai/events to join us. About vLLM is a fast and easy to use library for LLM inference and serving. Originally developed in the Sky Computing Lab at UC Berkeley, vLLM has grown into one of the most active open source AI projects built and maintained by a diverse community of many dozens of academic institutions and companies from over 2000 contributors. vLLM is fast with: State of the art serving throughput Efficient management of…
About LiteLLM
🚅 LiteLLM LiteLLM AI Gateway Open Source AI Gateway for 100+ LLMs. Self hosted. Enterprise ready. Call any LLM in OpenAI format. LiteLLM Proxy Server (AI Gateway) Hosted Proxy Enterprise Tier Website What is LiteLLM LiteLLM is an open source AI Gateway that gives you a single, unified interface to call 100+ LLM providers — OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Bedrock, Azure, and more — using the OpenAI format. Use it as a Python SDK for direct library integration, or deploy the AI Gateway (Proxy Server) as a centralized service for your team or organization. Jump to LiteLLM Proxy (LLM Gateway) Docs Jump to Supported LLM…
read the full LiteLLM overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is vllm or LiteLLM more popular?
vllm has 96,158 GitHub stars and LiteLLM has 62,569. vllm has the larger community by that measure.
Are vllm and LiteLLM free?
Both are open source. vllm is licensed under Apache-2.0, and LiteLLM has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between vllm and LiteLLM?
vllm is written in Python and LiteLLM in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, vllm or LiteLLM?
Choose vllm if you want the larger community (96,158 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose LiteLLM if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.