Local LLM stacks · Comparison
Best local LLM tools (Ollama, LM Studio, Open WebUI, Jan)
Updated 2026-09-20 · markdown mirror
Verdict
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.
The picks
- 01
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.
- 02
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.
- 03
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.
- 04
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.
| Tool | Free tier | Paid from | Graphical interface | OpenAI-compatible API | Model management | AI crawlers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ollama | Free and open source Documented at the source Checked 2026-09-20 ollama.com | $20/mo Documented at the source Checked 2026-09-20 ollama.com Ollama Cloud hosted option, verified on page 2026-09-20 | No, CLI and API, pair with Open WebUI Documented at the source Checked 2026-09-20 ollama.com | Yes, local API server Documented at the source Checked 2026-09-20 ollama.com | Yes, ollama pull from the model library Documented at the source Checked 2026-09-20 ollama.com /library | unknown Tested by us Checked 2026-09-20 /local-llm/benchmarks/local-llm-ai-crawler-access/ Our benchmark (n=4 tools × 3 runs) — methodology on the benchmark page |
| LM Studio | Free for personal use Documented at the source Checked 2026-09-20 lmstudio.ai | $0/mo Documented at the source Checked 2026-09-20 lmstudio.ai Free for personal use, check licence for workplace use | Yes, polished desktop chat interface Documented at the source Checked 2026-09-20 lmstudio.ai | Yes, local server mode Unconfirmed — in the claim queue Checked 2026-09-20 lmstudio.ai | Yes, search and download from Hugging Face Documented at the source Checked 2026-09-20 lmstudio.ai | open Tested by us Checked 2026-09-20 /local-llm/benchmarks/local-llm-ai-crawler-access/ Our benchmark (n=4 tools × 3 runs) — methodology on the benchmark page |
| Open WebUI | Free and open source Documented at the source Checked 2026-09-20 openwebui.com | $0/mo Documented at the source Checked 2026-09-20 openwebui.com Open source, self-hosted | Yes, web UI for teams and multi-user Documented at the source Checked 2026-09-20 openwebui.com /features | Yes, proxies Ollama and OpenAI endpoints Unconfirmed — in the claim queue Checked 2026-09-20 openwebui.com | Yes, pull and manage models from the UI Unconfirmed — in the claim queue Checked 2026-09-20 openwebui.com | open Tested by us Checked 2026-09-20 /local-llm/benchmarks/local-llm-ai-crawler-access/ Our benchmark (n=4 tools × 3 runs) — methodology on the benchmark page |
| Jan | Free and open source Documented at the source Checked 2026-09-20 jan.ai | $0/mo Documented at the source Checked 2026-09-20 jan.ai Open source, free | Yes, desktop app for Mac, Windows, and Linux Documented at the source Checked 2026-09-20 jan.ai | Yes, local server Unconfirmed — in the claim queue Checked 2026-09-20 jan.ai | Yes, downloads from Hugging Face Documented at the source Checked 2026-09-20 jan.ai | open Tested by us Checked 2026-09-20 /local-llm/benchmarks/local-llm-ai-crawler-access/ Our benchmark (n=4 tools × 3 runs) — methodology on the benchmark page |
● tested by us · ● documented at the source · ● unconfirmed, queued in /confirm.txt — hover or tap a dot for the source and date
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.