Ollama

What is Ollama?

Ollama is a way to run open AI models on your own computer or in Ollama's cloud. A desktop app, command-line interface and REST API let you pull models such as Gemma, GLM, DeepSeek, Qwen, Kimi and gpt-oss, chat with them, and call them from code through official Python and JavaScript libraries or OpenAI-compatible and Anthropic-compatible clients. You can start coding agents such as Claude Code, Codex and opencode with an ollama launch command. Running models on your own hardware is always unlimited. Cloud models need no local GPU and use per-token pricing from monthly usage credits. Ollama pricing includes a Free plan with starter credits, Pro at $20 per month, Max at $100 per month, Team at $500 per month and a custom Enterprise plan. The vendor says cloud prompts and responses are never logged or trained on.

Use cases

• Run open LLMs locally on your computer
• Call open models through an OpenAI-compatible API
• Launch coding agents on open models
• Use cloud models without a local GPU
• Build apps with the Python or JavaScript library
• Run multiple models concurrently
• Share a team pool of model usage

Who it's for

• Developers
• AI engineers
• Privacy-minded users
• Engineering teams

Why use Ollama

• Local use is unlimited and keeps prompts on your machine, so privacy and cost stay under your control.
• The same API works for local and cloud models, so you can start small and move large models to the cloud.
• OpenAI-compatible endpoints make it easy to point existing tools at open models.
• Per-token pricing and a visible usage page replace hard-to-predict GPU-time billing.
• Team plans share one pool of credits across unlimited users.

Ollama features

• Desktop app, CLI and REST API
• Local models with unlimited use on your hardware
• Cloud models with no download or local GPU
• OpenAI and Anthropic API compatibility
• Official Python and JavaScript libraries
• ollama launch for Claude Code, Codex and opencode
• Model library for coding, vision, embeddings and reasoning
• Per-token pricing with monthly usage credits
• Concurrent requests that scale by plan
• Zero data retention for cloud requests

Ollama integrations

• Claude Code
• Codex
• opencode
• OpenClaw
• Open WebUI
• n8n
• OpenAI API
• Anthropic API

How to get started with Ollama

1. Download Ollama for macOS, Windows or Linux and open the app, or run the ollama command.
2. Pull and run a model from the library locally, or sign in to use a cloud model.
3. Call the model through the REST API, the Python or JavaScript library, or an OpenAI-compatible client.
4. Launch a coding agent with a command such as ollama launch claude.
5. Add usage credits or a paid plan if you use cloud models beyond the starter amount.

Ollama limitations

• Free accounts get starter usage for a smaller set of starter models
• Included usage credits reset monthly and do not roll over
• Concurrency is 1 request on Free, 3 on Pro and 10 on Max and Team
• Cloud hosting is primarily in the United States, with some routing to Europe

Ollama pricing

Ollama is open source, so you can use and self-host it for free. Paid plans start at $20 per month, according to the official pricing page on 24 Oct 2026.

Ollama plans

• Free

  $0

  • Run models locally
  • Starter usage credits included
  • Access to starter models
  • Add credits to unlock all models

• Pro

  $20/month

  or $200/yr billed annually ($16.67/mo)

  • $60 of usage credits per month
  • Access to larger pro models
  • Run multiple models concurrently

• Max

  $100/month

  • $300 of usage credits per month
  • Early access to the newest models
  • 10 concurrent requests

• Team

  $500/month

  • Unlimited users
  • $1,000 of shared usage credits per month
  • Centralized billing and administration
  • Priority support

• Enterprise

  Custom

  • Model access controls
  • Cost budgets for users and API keys
  • Private Slack channel with dedicated support
  • Custom security questionnaires

Plans as listed on the official pricing page on 24 Oct 2026. Prices can change and may vary by country or exclude tax. Check the official pricing page.

Ollama alternatives

The main Ollama alternatives listed on Debuly are LM Studio, Jan, llama.cpp, GPT4All, vLLM and OpenRouter. The table compares pricing and platforms; order is A–Z.

1. 

   GPT4All

   Free, open source desktop app and Python client for running language models offline and privately on your own computer.

   Chat assistantsDeveloper platforms
   Open sourceVisit GPT4All (official site)
2. 

   Jan

   Free, open-source desktop AI assistant that runs models offline on your computer or connects to cloud models with your own keys.

   Chat assistantsDeveloper platforms
   Open sourceVisit Jan (official site)
3. 

   llama.cpp

   Open-source engine and desktop app for running LLMs locally, with a built-in OpenAI-compatible API server and web chat UI.

   Developer platformsCodingChat assistants
   Open sourceVisit llama.cpp (official site)
4. 

   LM Studio

   Desktop app for running open language models on your own computer, now with the Bionic agent, a local API and optional US-hosted cloud models.

   Chat assistantsDeveloper platformsCodingProductivity
   FreemiumVisit LM Studio (official site)
5. 

   OpenRouter

   Unified OpenAI-compatible API for 500+ AI models with provider fallbacks, pay-as-you-go credits and a free tier

   Developer platformsChat assistantsAutomation and agents
   FreemiumVisit OpenRouter (official site)
6. 

   vLLM

   Open-source engine for serving LLMs with PagedAttention, continuous batching and an OpenAI-compatible API.

   Developer platformsCoding
   Open sourceVisit vLLM (official site)

Ollama FAQ

Sources & verification

Facts on this page come from the official sources below, each with the date we read it. Written by Debuly; the vendor did not review this page.

Image credits

• Logo: from ollama.com · fetched 23 Oct 2026 · Vendor trademark, used only to identify the product; removed on request
• Cover: from ollama.com · fetched 23 Oct 2026 · Vendor marketing image from the official site; removed on request

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