LiteLLM vs Serge
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted local llm runners options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
LiteLLM
Unified proxy and gateway for 100+ LLM APIs
VS
Serge
Self-hosted LLaMA chat UI with no API keys needed
| Feature | LiteLLM | Serge |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Local LLM Runners | Local LLM Runners |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Svelte |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 8,192 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 55,843 | ★ 5,716 |
| First released | 2023 | 2023 |
| Replaces | OpenRouter | ChatGPT |
Why pick each one
Choose LiteLLM if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 55.8k GitHub stars
Choose Serge if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 5.7k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is LiteLLM or Serge better?
Neither is universally better. LiteLLM has the larger community, while Serge is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are LiteLLM and Serge free and open-source?
Yes. LiteLLM is licensed under MIT and Serge under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run LiteLLM and Serge with Docker?
LiteLLM: yes. Serge: yes.