# Best tools for running LLMs locally

Canonical: https://theagenticweekly.com/best/llm-platforms · Last updated: 2026-10-26 · 13 tools ranked

Tools for running open models on your own machine or serving them, compared on license, platforms, GitHub activity and price.

Rankings are editorial. Paid placements never affect them. Reported = written from official sources; Tested = a small smoke test whose scope is stated per tool (not a benchmark). How ranks are chosen: https://theagenticweekly.com/editorial-policy#ranking.

| Rank | Tool | Why | Verdict | Evidence | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [Cohere](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/cohere) | Enterprise-focused models and the North agent platform. | Enterprise AI company: Command models, Rerank and the North platform. | Reported (not run by us) | 2026-10-25 |
| 2 | [DeepSeek](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/deepseek) | Model API compatible with the OpenAI and Anthropic formats. | Model API that works with the OpenAI and Anthropic SDK formats and can back agent tools such as Claude Code, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode. | Reported (not run by us) | 2026-10-25 |
| 3 | [Hugging Face](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/hugging-face) | Hub for models, datasets and Spaces with paid compute. | The hub where the ML community shares models, datasets and apps, with PRO, Team and Enterprise tiers. | Tested (smoke test, 2026-10-26, SmolLM2-135M from the Hub) | 2026-10-26 |
| 4 | [LiteLLM](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/litellm) | Python SDK and proxy exposing many providers through an OpenAI-style API. | Useful as a single interface in front of local and hosted models; check the license files and pin the version because it releases daily. | Tested (smoke test, 2026-10-25, local 3B model (Qwen2.5-3B)) | 2026-10-25 |
| 5 | [llama.cpp](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/llama-cpp) | C/C++ inference engine for running LLMs on local hardware. | LLM inference in C/C++: the open-source engine many local-model tools build on; MIT-licensed with near-daily build tags. | Tested (smoke test, 2026-10-25, local 3B model (Qwen2.5-3B)) | 2026-10-25 |
| 6 | [LM Studio](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/lm-studio) | Desktop app for running local models, now with an agent called Bionic. | Desktop app for running open models locally; the homepage now leads with Bionic, an agent for work and code. | Reported (not run by us) | 2026-10-25 |
| 7 | [Ollama](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/ollama) | Run open models locally or in the cloud with a CLI and API. | The common way to run open models locally on macOS, Windows and Linux, with a cloud option and an MIT-licensed open-source core. | Tested (smoke test, 2026-10-25, local 3B model (Qwen2.5-3B)) | 2026-10-25 |
| 8 | [Open WebUI](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/open-webui) | Self-hosted web interface for local and hosted models. | Self-hosted AI platform: a web interface that connects to Ollama and OpenAI-compatible models, under its own Open WebUI License. | Tested (smoke test, 2026-10-25, local 3B model (Qwen2.5-3B)) | 2026-10-25 |
| 9 | [OpenRouter](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/openrouter) | One API for many hosted models with provider fallback. | Unified API to many models with fallbacks; a Free tier with 25+ free models and 4 free providers. | Reported (not run by us) | 2026-10-25 |
| 10 | [Replicate](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/replicate) | Run open-source models through a cloud API. | Cloud API for running and fine-tuning open models, with per-use pricing. | Reported (not run by us) | 2026-10-25 |
| 11 | [Together AI](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/together-ai) | Inference, fine-tuning and GPU clusters for open models. | AI cloud for open models: serverless inference, fine-tuning and GPU clusters, priced per token. | Reported (not run by us) | 2026-10-25 |
| 12 | [Jan](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/jan) | Open-source ChatGPT-style desktop app for local and cloud models. | Open-source alternative to ChatGPT that runs open models locally or connects to cloud models like GPT and Claude. | Reported (not run by us) | 2026-10-25 |
| 13 | [GPT4All](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/gpt4all) | Private local chatbot by Nomic. | Local chatbot from Nomic that runs open-source models on your device; the latest GitHub release we saw is v3.10.0 from Feb 2025. | Tested (smoke test, 2026-10-26, local 3B model (Qwen2.5-3B)) | 2026-10-26 |

## How to cite

Agentic Weekly, "Best tools for running LLMs locally (updated weekly)", last updated 2026-10-26, https://theagenticweekly.com/best/llm-platforms