llama.cpp vs Page Assist
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?
llama.cpp
High-performance LLM inference in plain C/C++
VS
Page Assist
Browser extension to use local AI models on the web
| Feature | llama.cpp | Page Assist |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Local LLM Runners | Local LLM Runners |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | C++ | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 8,192 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, bare-metal, docker | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 123,039 | ★ 8,125 |
| First released | 2023 | 2024 |
| Replaces | OpenAI API | ChatGPT |
Why pick each one
Choose llama.cpp if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 123k GitHub stars
- Written in C++
Choose Page Assist if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 8.1k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is llama.cpp or Page Assist better?
Neither is universally better. llama.cpp has the larger community, while Page Assist is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are llama.cpp and Page Assist free and open-source?
Yes. llama.cpp is licensed under MIT and Page Assist under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run llama.cpp and Page Assist with Docker?
llama.cpp: yes. Page Assist: check the project docs for container support.