# beam vs llama.cpp

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | beam | llama.cpp |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 61/100 | 93/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #29 of 125 in AI | #2 of 25 in LLM Inference |
| GitHub stars | 1 834 | 132 621 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +47 | +3 264 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 364 | 1454 ✓ |
| Latest release | gateway-0.1.837 · 26 Oct 2026 | b11962 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Go | C++ |

## Which one should you pick?

llama.cpp scores 93/100 against 61/100 for beam, so it is the safer default.

llama.cpp ships more often: 1454 stable releases in the past year, against 364 for beam.

If you want the quickest setup, llama.cpp is easier to run; beam needs more configuration.

llama.cpp is growing faster right now (+3 264 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [beam](https://selfhost.directory/project/beam) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/beam.md)
- [llama.cpp](https://selfhost.directory/project/llamacpp) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/llamacpp.md)

---
Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/beam-vs-llamacpp