FastChat vs Wllama
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted local llm runners options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | FastChat | Wllama |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 69 · Good | 84 · Excellent |
| Category | Local LLM Runners | Local LLM Runners |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 8,192 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 39,550 | ★ 1,309 |
| First released | 2023 | 2024 |
| Replaces | OpenAI API | OpenAI API |
What are FastChat and Wllama?
FastChat
FastChat is an open platform for training, serving, and evaluating large language model chatbots. It powers the Chatbot Arena and provides an OpenAI-compatible API server for self-hosted models.
- OpenAI-compatible API
- Web UI for model chat
- Distributed serving
- Model evaluation tools
Wllama
Wllama is an open-source WebAssembly binding for llama.cpp that allows large language models to run entirely inside the browser. It can be hosted as a static site to provide fully client-side AI inference.
- Browser-based inference
- WebAssembly powered
- No server needed
- Static site deployable
FastChat vs Wllama: key differences
FastChat is written in Python, while Wllama is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for FastChat versus MIT for Wllama. Wllama is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 8,192 MB for FastChat. FastChat has the considerably larger community, at 39,550 GitHub stars versus 1,309. FastChat lists first-class Docker deployment; Wllama does not.
Why pick each one
Choose FastChat if…
- OpenAI-compatible API
- Powers Chatbot Arena
- Multi-model serving
Watch out for
- GPU recommended
- Steep learning curve
Choose Wllama if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Active community (1.3k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is FastChat or Wllama better?
Neither is universally better. FastChat has the larger community, while Wllama is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are FastChat and Wllama free and open-source?
Yes. FastChat is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Wllama under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run FastChat and Wllama with Docker?
FastChat: yes. Wllama: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, FastChat or Wllama?
Wllama has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 8,192 MB for FastChat. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.