KoboldCpp vs vLLM
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted local llm runners options — 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
vLLM
High-throughput LLM serving engine with PagedAttention
| Feature | KoboldCpp | vLLM |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Local LLM Runners | Local LLM Runners |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 8,192 MB | 16,384 MB |
| Deployment | binary, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,358 | ★ 88,482 |
| First released | 2023 | 2023 |
| Replaces | ChatGPT | OpenAI API |
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 vLLM if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 88.5k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is KoboldCpp or vLLM better?
Neither is universally better. vLLM 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 vLLM free and open-source?
Yes. KoboldCpp is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and vLLM under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run KoboldCpp and vLLM with Docker?
KoboldCpp: check the project docs for container support. vLLM: yes.