Open-Source AI · Learn AI & machine learning

LLM Course vs LLMs from Scratch

LLM Course vs LLMs from Scratch compared for 2026 — features, license, ease of use, performance and which one to choose. The reference roadmap for learning LLMs vs Build a GPT from nothing, line by line.

Updated regularly · curated by OpenSourceAI.tech

Choose LLM Course for going from using LLMs to actually training them. Choose LLMs from Scratch for genuinely understanding how an LLM works.

LLM Course vs LLMs from Scratch at a glance

Spec	LLM Course	LLMs from Scratch
Category	Learn AI & machine learning	Learn AI & machine learning
Type	Course + roadmap	Book + code
License	Apache-2.0	Apache-2.0
Runs locally	Yes	Yes
Primary language	Jupyter	Python
Ease of use	Intermediate	Intermediate
Best for	going from using LLMs to actually training them	genuinely understanding how an LLM works
GitHub stars	80.9k	99k

How LLM Course and LLMs from Scratch score

🤝 Too close to call — LLM Course and LLMs from Scratch land within a hair (4.4 vs 4.6 / 5). Pick on fit, not on score.

Criterion	LLM Course	LLMs from Scratch
Popularity	4.5	4.5
Maintenance	4.0	5.0
Ease of use	3.5	3.5
Privacy	5.0	5.0
License freedom	5.0	5.0

Scores are computed automatically from public signals — GitHub stars (popularity), recent commit activity (maintenance), license type (freedom), local-first design (privacy) and onboarding complexity (ease of use). Indicative, not a verdict.

What each one is

LLM Course

Course + roadmap · Apache-2.0

Maxime Labonne's course splits LLM learning into three tracks — the fundamentals, building an LLM, and deploying one — with Colab notebooks for fine-tuning, quantisation and RLHF.

The clearest LLM roadmap that exists
Colab notebooks you can run without a GPU
Covers fine-tuning, quantisation and RLHF hands-on

See the LLM Course page →

LLMs from Scratch

Book + code · Apache-2.0

Sebastian Raschka's companion repository to "Build a Large Language Model (From Scratch)": you implement attention, a transformer, pretraining and fine-tuning yourself, in plain PyTorch.

You build every component yourself — no black boxes
Runs on a laptop, no cluster needed
The clearest explanation of attention anywhere

See the LLMs from Scratch page →

Key differences

LLM Course is course + roadmap, while LLMs from Scratch is book + code. In short, LLM Course fits going from using LLMs to actually training them, and LLMs from Scratch fits genuinely understanding how an LLM works.

Which should you choose?

Choose LLM Course for going from using LLMs to actually training them. Choose LLMs from Scratch for genuinely understanding how an LLM works.

There is rarely one winner — many setups use both. The right pick depends on your hardware, your team's skills, and whether you value simplicity or control.

Frequently asked questions

Is LLM Course or LLMs from Scratch easier to use?

Both sit at a similar level (Intermediate). Your choice should come down to fit rather than difficulty.

Are LLM Course and LLMs from Scratch free?

LLM Course is free and open source (Apache-2.0), and LLMs from Scratch is free and open source (Apache-2.0). Neither charges for the core software.

Can I run LLM Course and LLMs from Scratch locally?

LLM Course: yes · LLMs from Scratch: yes. Both can be used without sending your data to a third-party cloud where their setup allows.

LLM Course vs LLMs from Scratch — which should I pick in 2026?

Choose LLM Course for going from using LLMs to actually training them. Choose LLMs from Scratch for genuinely understanding how an LLM works.

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