# Best local LLM tools (Ollama, LM Studio, Open WebUI, Jan)

> Ollama is the default way to run models locally: one command, an OpenAI-compatible API, and the biggest model library. LM Studio if you want a desktop GUI with Hugging Face search. Open WebUI when Ollama needs a real web interface for a team. Jan for a simple open-source all-rounder.

Human page: https://testedactually.com/local-llm/
Mirror: https://testedactually.com/local-llm.md
Updated: 2026-09-20

## Picks

- **Ollama** — best for servers, terminals, and API-first local inference in one command. Don't use it if you want a graphical chat out of the box, Ollama is a CLI and library, pair it with Open WebUI
- **LM Studio** — best for a desktop GUI with Hugging Face browsing and local API serving. Don't use it if you want to run headless on a server, LM Studio is a desktop application
- **Open WebUI** — best for giving Ollama a polished, self-hosted web interface for teams. Don't use it if you have not installed Ollama yet, Open WebUI is a layer on top of a backend, not a runtime
- **Jan** — best for a simple open-source all-in-one desktop app. Don't use it if you need advanced routing or multi-user serving, Jan is intentionally simpler

**Local LLM stacks — compared**

| Tool | Free tier | Paid from | Graphical interface | OpenAI-compatible API | Model management | AI crawlers |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Ollama](/local-llm/ollama/) | Free and open source | $20/mo | No, CLI and API, pair with Open WebUI | Yes, local API server | Yes, ollama pull from the model library | unknown |
| [LM Studio](/local-llm/lm-studio/) | Free for personal use | $0/mo | Yes, polished desktop chat interface | Yes, local server mode | Yes, search and download from Hugging Face | open |
| [Open WebUI](/local-llm/open-webui/) | Free and open source | $0/mo | Yes, web UI for teams and multi-user | Yes, proxies Ollama and OpenAI endpoints | Yes, pull and manage models from the UI | open |
| [Jan](/local-llm/jan/) | Free and open source | $0/mo | Yes, desktop app for Mac, Windows, and Linux | Yes, local server | Yes, downloads from Hugging Face | open |

## Don't use it if

- **Ollama**: you want a graphical chat out of the box, it is a CLI and a library, the interface is yours to add.
- **LM Studio**: you are deploying headless servers, it is a desktop application first.
- **Open WebUI**: you have no backend installed, it is an interface layer on top of Ollama (or another runtime), not a runtime itself.

## Privacy, with honest limits

Running models locally keeps prompts off other people's servers, and that is
the entire reason this category exists. The honest limits: you trade
frontier-model quality for open models, you need RAM and disk, and the
runtime you pick decides whether local AI is a weekend project or a
deployed service. None of these tools sends your prompts anywhere by
default; all of them download model weights you should source deliberately.

## The stack, not the app

The comparison that matters here is not four competing apps but three
shapes: a runtime with an API (Ollama), a desktop experience (LM Studio,
Jan), and a team interface (Open WebUI). They compose: the common local
stack is Ollama underneath and Open WebUI in front. Our table scores the
shapes on interface, API, and model management so you can assemble rather
than choose.

## Original data

Local tooling attracts a privacy-literate audience, so we hold ourselves to
the same standard we test vendors on: our benchmark page measures whether
these four projects let answer engines read their documentation (all four
are open-source projects, and the result is refreshing), with methodology
and limitations published.

## What we did not test

We have not benchmarked tokens-per-second across hardware profiles, which is
the local-LLM benchmark people actually ask for. It requires hardware we
control and a published model set; it is scoped and on the roadmap. Until
then, performance claims stay out of our tables.

## FAQ

### What is the best tool for running LLMs locally?

Ollama, for most people; one command to pull and run models, an OpenAI-compatible API for tools, and the largest model library. LM Studio if you prefer a desktop GUI, Open WebUI to put a team-friendly web interface in front of Ollama, and Jan for a simple all-in-one desktop app.

### Is Ollama free?

Yes; Ollama is free and open source, and so are Open WebUI and Jan. LM Studio is free for personal use with a separate licence question for workplace use, which we flag as a claim to check on their site.

### Can I run LLMs locally on a Mac?

Yes; all four tools in this comparison run on Apple silicon Macs, and Ollama, LM Studio, and Jan ship native installers. Model size is the constraint; start with 7B to 8B models on 16 GB machines.

### Do local LLM tools expose an OpenAI-compatible API?

Yes; Ollama, LM Studio, and Jan all serve local APIs that existing tooling can target, and Open WebUI proxies Ollama and OpenAI endpoints behind one interface. That is what makes a local stack a drop-in for your own scripts.


## Sources

- https://ollama.com/ — checked 2026-09-20, confidence: documented
- https://ollama.com/library — checked 2026-09-20, confidence: documented
- https://ollama.com/ — checked 2026-09-20, confidence: unconfirmed
- https://lmstudio.ai/ — checked 2026-09-20, confidence: documented
- https://lmstudio.ai/ — checked 2026-09-20, confidence: unconfirmed
- https://openwebui.com/ — checked 2026-09-20, confidence: documented
- https://openwebui.com/features — checked 2026-09-20, confidence: documented
- https://openwebui.com/ — checked 2026-09-20, confidence: unconfirmed
- https://jan.ai/ — checked 2026-09-20, confidence: documented
- https://jan.ai/ — checked 2026-09-20, confidence: unconfirmed