Ollama
Local LLM RunnersRun large language models locally with a simple CLI and API
Replaces ChatGPT, OpenAI API
Best Cross-Platform Local LLM Runners for self-hosting
The 13 best Cross-Platform local llm runners you can self-host, ranked by community traction.
llama.cpp
Local LLM RunnersHigh-performance LLM inference in plain C/C++
Replaces OpenAI API
vLLM
Local LLM RunnersHigh-throughput LLM serving engine with PagedAttention
Replaces OpenAI API
GPT4All
Local LLM RunnersPrivacy-first desktop chat with local language models
Replaces ChatGPT
exo
Local LLM RunnersRun your own AI cluster across everyday devices
Replaces OpenAI API
Jan
Local LLM RunnersOpen-source offline ChatGPT alternative for the desktop
Replaces ChatGPT
Continue
Local LLM RunnersOpen-source AI code assistant for VS Code and JetBrains
Replaces GitHub Copilot, Cursor
llamafile
Local LLM RunnersDistribute and run LLMs with a single executable file
Replaces OpenAI API, ChatGPT
MLC LLM
Local LLM RunnersUniversal LLM deployment engine for any hardware
Replaces OpenAI API
KoboldCpp
Local LLM RunnersSingle-file local LLM runner for text and storytelling
Replaces ChatGPT
Page Assist
Local LLM RunnersBrowser extension to use local AI models on the web
Replaces ChatGPT
LM Studio
Local LLM RunnersDesktop app to discover, download, and run local LLMs
Replaces ChatGPT
Harbor LLM Toolkit
Local LLM RunnersContainerized LLM toolkit to run a local AI stack with one CLI
Replaces OpenAI Platform
No apps match these filters.
At a glance
| App | Deploy effort | Difficulty | Min. RAM | License | ★ Stars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ollama | ≈5-minute setup | Easy | 8,192 MB | MIT | 183,072 |
| llama.cpp | Under-an-hour setup | Hard | 8,192 MB | MIT | 131,102 |
| vLLM | Under-an-hour setup | Hard | 16,384 MB | Apache-2.0 | 93,739 |
| GPT4All | Read-the-docs project | Easy | 8,192 MB | MIT | 77,370 |
| exo | Read-the-docs project | Medium | 8,192 MB | GPL-3.0 | 47,870 |
| Jan | Read-the-docs project | Easy | 8,192 MB | AGPL-3.0 | 44,941 |
| Continue | Read-the-docs project | Easy | 1,024 MB | Apache-2.0 | 36,219 |
| llamafile | Read-the-docs project | Easy | 8,192 MB | Apache-2.0 | 26,232 |
| MLC LLM | Read-the-docs project | Hard | 4,096 MB | Apache-2.0 | 23,239 |
| KoboldCpp | Read-the-docs project | Easy | 8,192 MB | AGPL-3.0 | 11,993 |
Quick picks
- Most adopted: Ollama (183,072 GitHub stars).
- Lightest footprint: Page Assist (from 256 MB RAM, against 16,384 MB for the heaviest here).
- Fastest to deploy: Ollama (verified single-container compose).
- Licensing: 5 of 13 use Apache-2.0; check the rest individually if you plan to modify and redistribute.
Every option here is open-source and self-hostable, tagged Cross-Platform within the local llm runners category. Deploy effort is graded from published container recipes, not vendor claims — see the methodology.