GPUStack vs LMDeploy
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
GPUStack
Manage GPU clusters for running AI models
VS
LMDeploy
Toolkit for compressing and serving large language models
| Feature | GPUStack | LMDeploy |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Self-Hosted AI | Local LLM Runners |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 8,192 MB | 16,384 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,456 | ★ 7,998 |
| First released | 2024 | 2023 |
| Replaces | OpenAI API | OpenAI API, Hugging Face Inference Endpoints |
Why pick each one
Choose GPUStack if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 5.5k GitHub stars
Choose LMDeploy if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 8k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is GPUStack or LMDeploy better?
Neither is universally better. LMDeploy has the larger community, while GPUStack is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are GPUStack and LMDeploy free and open-source?
Yes. GPUStack is licensed under Apache-2.0 and LMDeploy under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GPUStack and LMDeploy with Docker?
GPUStack: yes. LMDeploy: yes.