GPUStack vs vLLM
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
vLLM
High-throughput LLM serving engine with PagedAttention
| Feature | GPUStack | vLLM |
|---|---|---|
| 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, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,456 | ★ 88,482 |
| First released | 2024 | 2023 |
| Replaces | OpenAI API | OpenAI API |
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 vLLM if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 88.5k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is GPUStack or vLLM better?
Neither is universally better. vLLM 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 vLLM free and open-source?
Yes. GPUStack is licensed under Apache-2.0 and vLLM under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GPUStack and vLLM with Docker?
GPUStack: yes. vLLM: yes.