What it does
Core capabilities at a glance
- Full fine-tuning, LoRA, Adapter, and more training methods
- 20+ pre-configured model architectures
- Multi-GPU and multi-node distributed training
- Built-in evaluation benchmarks
- Export to GGUF, ONNX, and safetensors
- Lightning Fabric for flexible distributed training
Deep dive
The full breakdown - performance, comparisons, and setup
LitGPT
LitGPT comes from the team behind PyTorch Lightning, and it shows. The code is production-grade, the distributed training integration is seamless, and the abstractions are clean.
What it is
LitGPT is an open-source tool for pretraining, fine-tuning, and deploying LLMs. It provides 20+ optimized model implementations and supports multiple training methods including full fine-tuning and LoRA.
How it stacks up
| LitGPT | Unsloth | Axolotl | LLaMA-Factory | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pretraining | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Fine-tuning | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Distributed | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Code quality | Excellent | Good | Good | Good |
| Best for | Pretraining | Speed | Control | Web UI |
Get started
pip install litgpt
litgpt download Qwen/Qwen3-8B
litgpt finetune Qwen/Qwen3-8B --data your_data.json
litgpt export --format gguf Qwen/Qwen3-8B-loraWhen to use something else
- Maximum speed: Unsloth
- Web UI: LLaMA-Factory
- Native PyTorch: Torchtune
Frequently asked
Quick answers to common questions
What is LitGPT?
LitGPT is a fine-tuning tool for local AI workloads. Open-source tool for pretraining, fine-tuning, and deploying LLMs with optimized implementations.
Is LitGPT free and open source?
Yes, LitGPT has 13,412 GitHub stars and is licensed under Apache-2.0. You can self-host it for free on linux, docker.
What platforms does LitGPT support?
LitGPT runs on linux, docker.
What hardware do I need for LitGPT?
The hardware requirements depend on which models you run. Check our hardware directory for compatible GPUs and systems. LitGPT has 13,412 GitHub stars and an active community.
Does LitGPT support GPU acceleration?
LitGPT supports GPU acceleration via CUDA, Metal, or Vulkan depending on your platform. For the best performance, pair it with an NVIDIA RTX 4090 or 5090.
What are the best alternatives to LitGPT?
Popular alternatives include other fine-tuning tools in our directory. Browse our full collection at /tool for comparisons, community reviews, and benchmark data to find the right fit for your workflow.
How much does LitGPT cost?
LitGPT is free-open-source. It is completely free and open source to self-host.
Pairs well with
Complementary tools, models, and hardware
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