#1 pickVerified
Ollama
MIT-licensed and the simplest way to run open models locally, with an API that coding agents and apps can use.
Free tierOpen sourcefrom $20/moVisit Ollama ↗
Our pickReviewed
Best open-source and local AI stack
Ollama is our pick for running open models locally: one command to pull and run, with an API your tools can call. LM Studio is the friendliest GUI, Cline is the best open-source coding agent to pair with local models, and Aider is the lean open-source terminal alternative.
Editorial picks
Alternative 1Verified
LM Studio
A polished desktop app for running local models with a built-in local server. Free, but not open source.
Free tierfrom $20/moVisit LM Studio ↗
Alternative 2Verified
Cline
Open-source coding agent that can use local models through providers like Ollama.
Free tierOpen sourceVisit Cline ↗
Open-source pickVerified
Aider
Apache-licensed terminal pair programmer that works in your git repo with local or hosted models.
Free tierOpen sourceVisit Aider ↗
Editorial picks are never paid for. How we make money.
How we picked
- Runs fully on your machine
- Open-source license
- Works with coding agents
- Easy setup
Prices are checked against each vendor's official pricing page. Our methodology.
Compare
FAQ
Are local models good enough for coding?
For small, well-scoped tasks they can be. For large multi-file changes, hosted frontier models are generally stronger. Many builders mix both.
What hardware do I need?
It depends on the model size. Smaller models run on a modern laptop; larger ones need a lot of RAM or GPU memory. Check each model's requirements in Ollama or LM Studio.