llama.cpp vs Ollama
A side-by-side comparison of llama.cpp and Ollama — pricing, license, deployment, and where each tool wins.
llama.cpp
github.com
Inference of Meta's LLaMA model (and others) in pure C/C++.
Ollama
ollama.com
Get up and running with Llama 3.3, DeepSeek-R1, Phi-4, Gemma 3, and other large language models.
| Feature | llama.cpp | Ollama |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Freemium |
| Model | Open-source | Freemium |
| License | open-source | CC-BY-SA-3.0 |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Category | Code & Development | Code & Development |
| Self-hosted | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Free tier | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
Pick llama.cpp if…
- ✓You want full source-code access and no per-seat fees.
Pick Ollama if…
- ✓Broader tag coverage in our catalog (proxy for feature breadth).