LLMs from Scratch vs 
Hugging Face Course
LLMs from Scratch vs Hugging Face Course compared for 2026 — features, license, ease of use, performance and which one to choose. Build a GPT from nothing, line by line vs Master transformers with the actual library.
Updated regularly · curated by OpenSourceAI.tech
LLMs from Scratch vs Hugging Face Course at a glance
| Spec | LLMs from Scratch | Hugging Face Course |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Learn AI & machine learning | Learn AI & machine learning |
| Type | Book + code | Course |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Runs locally | Yes | Yes |
| Primary language | Python | Python |
| Ease of use | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| Best for | genuinely understanding how an LLM works | learning the library the whole ecosystem uses |
| GitHub stars | 99k | 4.1k |
How LLMs from Scratch and Hugging Face Course score
| Criterion | LLMs from Scratch | Hugging Face Course |
|---|---|---|
| Popularity | 4.5 | 2.5 |
| Maintenance | 5.0 | 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
LLMs from Scratch
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
Hugging Face Course
The official Hugging Face course on transformers, datasets and tokenizers — you learn the ecosystem that most of open-source AI actually runs on.
- Teaches the library everyone actually uses
- Free, with Colab notebooks throughout
- Maintained by the people who wrote the library
Key differences
LLMs from Scratch is book + code, while Hugging Face Course is course. In short, LLMs from Scratch fits genuinely understanding how an LLM works, and Hugging Face Course fits learning the library the whole ecosystem uses.
Which should you choose?
Choose LLMs from Scratch for genuinely understanding how an LLM works. Choose Hugging Face Course for learning the library the whole ecosystem uses.
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 LLMs from Scratch or Hugging Face Course easier to use?
Both sit at a similar level (Intermediate). Your choice should come down to fit rather than difficulty.
Are LLMs from Scratch and Hugging Face Course free?
LLMs from Scratch is free and open source (Apache-2.0), and Hugging Face Course is free and open source (Apache-2.0). Neither charges for the core software.
Can I run LLMs from Scratch and Hugging Face Course locally?
LLMs from Scratch: yes · Hugging Face Course: yes. Both can be used without sending your data to a third-party cloud where their setup allows.
LLMs from Scratch vs Hugging Face Course — which should I pick in 2026?
Choose LLMs from Scratch for genuinely understanding how an LLM works. Choose Hugging Face Course for learning the library the whole ecosystem uses.
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