head to head · open source
LocalAI vs OpenLLM
LocalAI has 50,187 GitHub stars, 4,574 forks, 201 open issues and last shipped yesterday. OpenLLM has 12,582 stars, 849 forks, 20 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. LocalAI leads on adoption by 299% (50,187 vs 12,582 stars). LocalAI is written in Go under MIT; OpenLLM is written in Python under Apache-2.0. LocalAI has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, OpenLLM 7%. LocalAI was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (llama, llm), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| LocalAI | OpenLLM | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 50K | ★ 13K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Go | Python |
| Last push | 2026-11-04 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.6K | ⑂ 849 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick LocalAI if
- You weight community size — 50K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick OpenLLM if
- You want the OpenLLM feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and OpenLLM fits your workflow better
About LocalAI
Deutsch Español français 日本語 한국어 Português Русский 中文 LocalAI is the open source AI engine. Run any model LLMs, vision, voice, image, video on any hardware. No GPU required. A small core, not a bundle. Each backend wraps a best in class engine (llama.cpp, vLLM, whisper.cpp, stable diffusion, MLX...) in its own image, pulled only when a model needs it. You install nothing you don't use. Composable by design : backends are separate and pulled on demand, so you install only what your model needs Open and extensible : load any model, or build your own backend in any language against an open interface Drop in API…
read the full LocalAI overview →
About OpenLLM
🦾 OpenLLM: Self Hosting LLMs Made Easy OpenLLM allows developers to run any open source LLMs (Llama 3.3, Qwen2.5, Phi3 and more) or custom models as OpenAI compatible APIs with a single command. It features a built in chat UI, state of the art inference backends, and a simplified workflow for creating enterprise grade cloud deployment with Docker, Kubernetes, and BentoCloud. Understand the design philosophy of OpenLLM. Get Started Run the following commands to install OpenLLM and explore it interactively. Supported models OpenLLM supports a wide range of state of the art open source LLMs. You can also add a…
read the full OpenLLM overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is LocalAI or OpenLLM more popular?
LocalAI has 50,187 GitHub stars and OpenLLM has 12,582. LocalAI has the larger community by that measure.
Are LocalAI and OpenLLM free?
Both are open source. LocalAI is licensed under MIT and OpenLLM under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LocalAI and OpenLLM?
LocalAI is written in Go and OpenLLM in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, LocalAI or OpenLLM?
Choose LocalAI if you want the larger community (50,187 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose OpenLLM if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.