Compare/Reviewed 14 Nov 2026
Use this, not that: running models locally
All three can run open models on your machine. The choice is mostly about interface: a simple daemon, a desktop GUI, or the raw engine.
First pick
Ollama
Use Ollama as the default local runtime. It is open source, has a simple CLI and API, and is the backend most other tools speak. You pay for hardware. The official site also mentions cloud options; we did not verify a public cloud rate card on 14 Nov 2026.
Use this, not that
Ollama
Use this when
You want a simple local (or optionally cloud) runtime other tools can call.
Not that when
You want a batteries-included desktop GUI for browsing and chatting with models, with no CLI.
LM Studio
Use this when
You want a free desktop app to download, run, and chat with local models, including MLX / llama.cpp under the hood.
Not that when
You need a headless server API as the center of a toolchain (use Ollama or vLLM), or you only want the raw engine.
llama.cpp
Use this when
You want the core GGUF engine and frequent tagged builds, and you are comfortable at the command line.
Not that when
You want a productized app or a one-command daemon. Use LM Studio or Ollama instead.
Related use case: Run models locally