# Ollama

> Ollama is a runner, not a full chat app: it downloads open models and serves them through a CLI chat and a local API that front-ends like Open WebUI, LibreChat and LobeHub connect to. Installers exist for macOS 14+, Windows 10 22H2+ and Linux, plus a Docker image. The runner is MIT, but each model has its own licence, so check the model page before commercial use. Local use is free and unlimited; optional paid Ollama Cloud plans (Pro $20/month) run cloud models. Models can be tens to hundreds of GB on disk.

- Repository: https://github.com/ollama/ollama
- Official docs: https://docs.ollama.com/
- Checked: 2026-10-15

## What it replaces
- ChatGPT Plus: Chat assistant (partial). Terminal chat plus a local API for other apps; answer quality depends on the model you run. Local models are generally less capable than paid frontier models.

## Facts, with sources

| Question | Status | Answer | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runs on my machine? | Confirmed | Yes, installer or Docker; cloud models optional | https://github.com/ollama/ollama#readme | 2026-10-15 |
| Code licence | Confirmed | MIT | https://github.com/ollama/ollama/blob/main/LICENSE | 2026-10-15 |
| Model weights licence | Confirmed | No bundled weights; each model you pull has its own licence | https://github.com/ollama/ollama#readme | 2026-10-15 |
| Commercial use | Confirmed | Runner is MIT; commercial use of a model depends on that model's licence | https://github.com/ollama/ollama/blob/main/LICENSE | 2026-10-15 |
| Paid services needed? | Partial | None for local use; Ollama Cloud plans optional (Pro $20/month) | https://ollama.com/pricing | 2026-10-15 |
| Hardware | Partial | Apple M-series or x86 (CPU only) on Mac; 4GB for Windows binary; RAM not stated | https://docs.ollama.com/macos | 2026-10-15 |
| Operating systems | Confirmed | macOS 14+, Windows 10 22H2+, Linux, Docker | https://docs.ollama.com/windows | 2026-10-15 |
| Setup effort | Confirmed | Easy; one-line install script or installer, then ollama run | https://github.com/ollama/ollama#download | 2026-10-15 |

GitHub: 183393 stars, 18314 forks, last push 2026-10-16, archived: no.
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Source: RepoQuarry (https://repoquarry.dev/projects/ollama). Data licence: CC BY 4.0. Quotes are from project documentation and belong to their authors.