Ollama

Ollama is a local runtime for large language models. It provides a simple interface to run and manage models like Gemma, Qwen, DeepSeek, and Llama locally without requiring cloud APIs.

Key Features

• Local model execution - Run LLMs entirely on your machine
• REST API - HTTP endpoints for integration with applications
• Multi-platform support - Works on macOS, Windows, Linux, and Docker
• Model library - Access to dozens of open models from the community
• Language bindings - Official Python and JavaScript SDKs
• Built-in integrations - Connect to Claude, Codex, and other AI tools

Installation

macOS/Linux:

curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh

Windows:

irm https://ollama.com/install.ps1 | iex

Docker:

docker run -d -v ollama:/root/.ollama -p 11434:11434 --name ollama ollama/ollama

Basic Usage

Run a model:

ollama run gemma3

REST API:

curl http://localhost:11434/api/chat -d '{
  "model": "gemma3",
  "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Why is the sky blue?"}],
  "stream": false
}'

Python SDK:

from ollama import chat

response = chat(model='gemma3', messages=[
  {'role': 'user', 'content': 'Why is the sky blue?'}
])
print(response.message.content)

Notable Details

• License: MIT
• Language: Go
• Community: 166K+ GitHub stars, active Discord and Reddit communities
• Backend: Built on llama.cpp for efficient inference
• Ecosystem: Extensive community integrations including web UIs, desktop apps, and IDE extensions