Ollama vs LM Studio vs llama.cpp: Which Local AI Runtime Should You Use?
If you want to run a language model locally, three tools handle the vast majority of real-world setups: Ollama, LM Studio, and llama.cpp. Choosing between them is the first decision most people get wrong — not because any of them is bad, but because they solve meaningfully different problems. Here is the short answer before the full breakdown: Ollama if you are a developer building something. LM Studio if you want a GUI and are not writing code. llama.cpp if you need maximum throughput or fine-grained control and are comfortable on the command line. Everything below is the reasoning behind those calls. ...