LLMs from Scratch vs 
Prompt Engineering Guide
LLMs from Scratch vs Prompt Engineering Guide compared for 2026 — features, license, ease of use, performance and which one to choose. Build a GPT from nothing, line by line vs The reference on prompting, backed by papers.
Updated regularly · curated by OpenSourceAI.tech
LLMs from Scratch vs Prompt Engineering Guide at a glance
| Spec | LLMs from Scratch | Prompt Engineering Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Learn AI & machine learning | Learn AI & machine learning |
| Type | Book + code | Guide + papers |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Runs locally | Yes | Yes |
| Primary language | Python | Markdown |
| Ease of use | Intermediate | Beginner |
| Best for | genuinely understanding how an LLM works | prompting based on evidence, not superstition |
| GitHub stars | 99k | 76.4k |
How LLMs from Scratch and Prompt Engineering Guide score
| Criterion | LLMs from Scratch | Prompt Engineering Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Popularity | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Maintenance | 5.0 | 4.0 |
| Ease of use | 3.5 | 5.0 |
| 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
Prompt Engineering Guide
DAIR.AI's comprehensive guide to prompt engineering: techniques, patterns, risks, and the research papers behind each of them — not folk wisdom.
- Every technique is backed by a paper
- Covers adversarial prompting and risks
- Available in many languages
Key differences
LLMs from Scratch is book + code, while Prompt Engineering Guide is guide + papers. Their licenses differ (Apache-2.0 vs MIT), which matters if you ship a commercial product. LLMs from Scratch leans more intermediate-friendly, whereas Prompt Engineering Guide is more suited to beginner users. In short, LLMs from Scratch fits genuinely understanding how an LLM works, and Prompt Engineering Guide fits prompting based on evidence, not superstition.
Which should you choose?
Choose LLMs from Scratch for genuinely understanding how an LLM works. Choose Prompt Engineering Guide for prompting based on evidence, not superstition.
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 Prompt Engineering Guide easier to use?
Prompt Engineering Guide is generally the easier of the two to get started with, while LLMs from Scratch rewards more setup with more control.
Are LLMs from Scratch and Prompt Engineering Guide free?
LLMs from Scratch is free and open source (Apache-2.0), and Prompt Engineering Guide is free and open source (MIT). Neither charges for the core software.
Can I run LLMs from Scratch and Prompt Engineering Guide locally?
LLMs from Scratch: yes · Prompt Engineering Guide: yes. Both can be used without sending your data to a third-party cloud where their setup allows.
LLMs from Scratch vs Prompt Engineering Guide — which should I pick in 2026?
Choose LLMs from Scratch for genuinely understanding how an LLM works. Choose Prompt Engineering Guide for prompting based on evidence, not superstition.
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