KoboldCpp vs PrivateGPT
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
KoboldCpp
Single-file local LLM runner for text and storytelling
VS
PrivateGPT
Ask questions about your documents fully offline
| Feature | KoboldCpp | PrivateGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Local LLM Runners | Self-Hosted AI |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 8,192 MB | 8,192 MB |
| Deployment | binary, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,358 | ★ 57,416 |
| First released | 2023 | 2023 |
| Replaces | ChatGPT | ChatGPT |
Why pick each one
Choose KoboldCpp if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 11.4k GitHub stars
- Written in C++
Choose PrivateGPT if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 57.4k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is KoboldCpp or PrivateGPT better?
Neither is universally better. PrivateGPT has the larger community, while KoboldCpp is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are KoboldCpp and PrivateGPT free and open-source?
Yes. KoboldCpp is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and PrivateGPT under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run KoboldCpp and PrivateGPT with Docker?
KoboldCpp: check the project docs for container support. PrivateGPT: yes.