Open Source
DSPy
by Stanford NLP
Programming, not prompting. Declare what you want, compile prompts and weights against an objective.
Our verdict
We have not reviewed DSPy yet
No one at Enterprise DNA has checked this listing against its sources. The description comes from public listings gathered automatically. Any fact below shows where it came from and when it was last checked.
From the listing
About DSPy
DSPy from Stanford NLP flips the prompt-engineering paradigm. You declare modules with input and output signatures, an objective, and a dataset. DSPy compiles prompts (and optionally weights) against the objective. The result is reliable, optimisable LLM pipelines that don't depend on someone's clever wording.
Best for
Teams who want to optimise their LLM pipelines like code, not edit prompts forever
Use cases
- Build a multi-stage pipeline that can be re-optimised when the model changes
- Replace fragile prompt chains with declarative modules
- Run prompt-and-weight optimisation against a real eval
- Standardise LLM workflows across a research team
Notes
Why it matters
Prompt engineering does not compose and does not optimise. DSPy is the clearest answer to "what does programming an LLM pipeline look like when you treat it like software."
How teams use it in production
Start with a small, evaluable pipeline. Build the eval first. Then run DSPy optimisation against it. The eval is the asset; the pipeline is the artefact.
What to watch
DSPy's ideas are leaking into every other framework. Whether the framework itself wins, or the patterns get absorbed, the declarative shift is real.
Pros
- Declarative model that survives provider swaps
- Real optimisation against an eval, not vibes
- Strong research backing, active development
- Pairs naturally with eval and observability tooling
Cons
- Steep learning curve, not a weekend hack
- Optimisation needs a real dataset and metric
- Smaller ecosystem than LangChain or LlamaIndex
Key facts
What we have checked
- Latest version
- 3.4.1 (released 12 Oct 2026)
- Days since the last commit
- 0
- GitHub forks
- 3,489
- GitHub stars
- 38,964
- Days to a first reply on issues
- 9.1
- Open issues
- 341
- Releases in the last 90 days
- 4
Each value shows when we last confirmed it and where it came from. Values we have not confirmed are left out, never guessed.
Stars and usage
How DSPy is growing
38,316 to 38,964
Health and security
Is DSPy looked after, and what do its setup files show
Health score
94 out of 100
| Part | Points | What we saw |
|---|---|---|
| Recent activity | 30 of 30 | Last push 0 days ago |
| Releases | 15 of 15 | 4 releases in 90 days |
| Issue replies | 15.5 of 20 | First reply in 9.1 days (median) |
| Maintainer | 15 of 15 | Owned by an organisation |
| Official source | Not counted | MCP servers only |
Alternatives
Alternatives to DSPy
| Record | Type | How we know | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| GuidanceThis is an alternative to it | Open source | Named in the listing | Not dated |
| LangChainThis is an alternative to it | App | Named in the listing | Not dated |
| OutlinesThis is an alternative to it | Open source | Named in the listing | Not dated |
Compare
Compare DSPy side by side
Sources
Where this comes from
A source shows what was published when we checked it. It does not certify security, performance or a working installation. Read our method.
Changelog
What changed
Released 3.4.1
Released 3.4.0
Released 3.4.0b1
Released 3.3.1
Released 3.3.0
Released 3.3.0b1
Released 3.2.1
Released 3.2.0
Released 3.1.3
Released 3.1.2
Open-source & AI alternatives
Swap-in tools that solve the same job. Weigh the trade-offs before you commit.
LangChain
Various
LangChain provides the engineering platform and open source frameworks developers use to build, test, and deploy reliable AI agents.
Guidance
Community
A guidance language for controlling large language models.
Outlines
Community
Structured Outputs
Pairs with
Other entries in the index that connect to this one. Click through to see the chain.
OpenAI Evals
Community
Evals is a framework for evaluating LLMs and LLM systems, and an open-source registry of benchmarks.
promptfoo
Community
Test your prompts, agents, and RAGs. Red teaming/pentesting/vulnerability scanning for AI. Compare performance of GPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, and more. Simple declarative config
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