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Ollama

Run open language models locally on your own computer with one simple command.

Open sourceAI Models & Developer APIs#4 in Models & Developer APIsby Ollama

What is Ollama?

Ollama is an open-source tool for downloading and running language models on your own machine. It offers a simple command line, a desktop app and a local API, so you can use open models privately or connect them to other apps.

Best for: Developers and privacy-minded users who want models running locally.

What you can do with Ollama

  1. Chat with an open model offline

  2. Connect a local model to a coding tool

  3. Test open models before deploying

Key features

  • One-command model downloads
  • Local API for apps
  • Large library of open models
  • Desktop app and CLI

Ollama pros and cons

Pros

  • Free and open source
  • Private by default
  • Very easy setup

Cons

  • Large models need a strong computer
  • Local models may trail top cloud models

Ollama pricing

Open source

Ollama is open source, so you can use it for free and run it yourself. Plans change often, so check the official site for current prices.

How to get started

  1. Open ollama.com and create a free account.
  2. Try one real task first: chat with an open model offline.
  3. Compare the result with Replicate or Mistral La Plateforme, then keep the one that fits how you work.

Compare Ollama

Side-by-side comparisons of features, pricing, pros and cons.

Ollama alternatives

Other tools that do a similar job, ranked by our editors.

All Ollama alternatives
  • Run thousands of open-source AI models in the cloud with a simple API.

    AI Models & Developer APIsVisit
  • Mistral AI's developer platform for its open and commercial language models.

    AI Models & Developer APIsVisit
  • Cloud platform to run, fine-tune and train open-source AI models.

    AI Models & Developer APIsVisit
  • OpenAI API Platform

    PaidEditor's pick

    OpenAI's developer platform for building apps with GPT, image, audio and embedding models.

    AI Models & Developer APIsVisit
  • Google AI Studio

    Free + Paid

    Google's browser workspace for trying Gemini models and getting a Gemini API key.

    AI Models & Developer APIsVisit

Top AI model platforms

How Ollama compares with the best in AI Models & Developer APIs.

  1. OpenAI's developer platform for building apps with GPT, image, audio and embedding models.

  2. Anthropic's console and API for building with the Claude family of models.

  3. Google's browser workspace for trying Gemini models and getting a Gemini API key.

  4. 4. Ollama

    Open source

    Run open language models locally on your own computer with one simple command.

  5. A family of high-quality image models for generating and editing pictures from text.

See all 22 AI model platforms

Ollama FAQ

What is Ollama?

Ollama is an open-source tool for downloading and running language models on your own machine. It offers a simple command line, a desktop app and a local API, so you can use open models privately or connect them to other apps.

Is Ollama free?

Ollama is open source, so you can use it for free and run it yourself. Check the official site for current limits and prices.

What can you do with Ollama?

With Ollama you can chat with an open model offline; connect a local model to a coding tool; test open models before deploying.

Who is Ollama best for?

Developers and privacy-minded users who want models running locally.

Does Ollama have an app?

Yes. Besides its main version, Ollama has apps for Windows, Mac and Linux.

Who makes Ollama?

Ollama is made by Ollama.

What are the best alternatives to Ollama?

Popular alternatives include Replicate, Mistral La Plateforme, Together AI and OpenAI API Platform. See the full ranking on our AI Models & Developer APIs page.

AltFTool is not affiliated with Ollama. This summary was written by our editors from the tool's public information. Browse all 451 AI tools