Crates / Compare / candle-nn vs burn
Rust crates side by side · data Oct 27, 2026
candle-nn vs burn
Short answerBy steady daily use, candle-nn is bigger: 31,937 real downloads a day against 6,262 for burn (5.1x). 528 crates depend on candle-nn and 363 on burn. candle-nn last shipped 4 months ago, burn 7 days ago.
candle-nn
EstablishedEstablished and gaining.
528 crates depend on it; no release in the last 90 days, so its count is all steady use.
Minimalist ML framework.
burn
EstablishedEstablished and gaining.
363 crates depend on it; downloads jump on release days (1.6x the baseline).
Flexible and Comprehensive Deep Learning Framework in Rust
candle-nnburn · 100% = that crate's normal quiet day, so a spike to 300% is triple its usual traffic
Every number, side by side
| Same window, same method | candle-nn | burn |
|---|---|---|
| Real downloads a day | 31,937 | 6,262 |
| Crates that depend on it | 528 | 363 |
| Last release | 0.11.0, 4 months ago | 0.22.1, 7 days ago |
| Trend vs the field | +41% | +134% |
| Release-window share | 0.0% | 15.9% |
| Downloads in the window | 3,348,296 | 809,046 |
| All-time downloads | 7,854,771 | 1,974,694 |
| Versions published | 37 | 49 |
| License | MIT OR Apache-2.0 | MIT OR Apache-2.0 |
| MSRV | not set | 1.95 |
| First published | Aug 2, 2023 | Jul 27, 2022 |
Which to pick
- Downloads tell you what is common, not what fits. Each crate's own description above says what it is for; when the jobs differ, pick by the job.
- When both fit, prefer the one more crates depend on (candle-nn, 528 dependents): more eyes, more answered questions, and you may already have it in your tree.
- Check the release dates against your own pace: candle-nn 4 months ago, burn 7 days ago.
Also in this space
Method
Real downloads = the median day with no release that day or the day before, from the crates.io API (Jul 30, 2026 to Oct 26, 2026). Raw crates.io counts include CI and bots and run high (why); the method is from our 90-day study.
Up next
Another comparison: Same method, same window. Foundational and steady vs widely used and steady.reqwest vs ureqRead it next →Also worth your time
Art: Nicholas Roerich, Nag Lake (1925). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
.jpg){kind=link}