# What is llama.cpp? Facts, license and pricing (Oct 2026)

Canonical: https://theagenticweekly.com/what-is/llama-cpp · Last verified: 2026-10-25 · Published: 2026-10-25 · Author: Agentic Weekly (operated independently from Texas, US) · Evidence: Evidence: Reported. Everything here was read from llama.cpp's own pages and the public GitHub API on 2026-10-25 (America/Chicago). We have not run llama.cpp for this page, so it says nothing about quality or speed.

> llama.cpp is lLM inference in C/C++: the open-source engine many local-model tools build on; MIT-licensed with near-daily build tags. License: MIT. Its GitHub repository (ggml-org/llama.cpp) had 132,360 stars on Oct 25, 2026. Facts were read from official pages on Oct 25, 2026 and are Reported, not Tested.

## What llama.cpp is

The llama.cpp repository describes LLM inference in C/C++ and is MIT-licensed. Its releases are build tags, with b11889 published Oct 25, 2026.

We list llama.cpp under Local LLMs and model platforms.

## llama.cpp key facts

Table: llama.cpp facts (vendor pages and GitHub, 2026-10-25)

|  | llama.cpp |
|---|---|
| Vendor | ggml-org (open-source project) |
| License | MIT |
| Platforms | Cross-platform source and binaries |
| Pricing model | Free and open source |
| Free tier | Free |
| GitHub | ggml-org/llama.cpp: 132,360 stars, last push Oct 26, 2026 (GitHub API, Oct 25, 2026) |
| Latest release we saw | b11889 on Oct 25, 2026 |
| Evidence | Reported from vendor pages |

## Who llama.cpp is for

- Good for: Developers embedding local inference.
- Good for: People who want maximum control over local models.
- Skip if: You want a polished app with a GUI.

## How to start with llama.cpp

1. Clone the repository or download a release build and follow the README's quick start.

## llama.cpp alternatives

- Ollama: The common way to run open models locally on macOS, Windows and Linux, with a cloud option and an MIT-licensed open-source core.
- LM Studio: Desktop app for running open models locally; the homepage now leads with Bionic, an agent for work and code.
- Jan: Open-source alternative to ChatGPT that runs open models locally or connects to cloud models like GPT and Claude.

## What we did not verify

- Performance on your hardware.
- Output quality, speed and reliability of llama.cpp: we have not run it for this page.

## FAQ

### What is llama.cpp?

The llama.cpp repository describes LLM inference in C/C++ and is MIT-licensed. Its releases are build tags, with b11889 published Oct 25, 2026.

### What license is llama.cpp under?

MIT. Read from the project's own pages on Oct 25, 2026.

### Is llama.cpp free?

Free. Checked Oct 25, 2026; prices change, so confirm on the vendor's page.

## Sources

- [llama.cpp repository (GitHub)](https://github.com/ggml-org/llama.cpp) (fetched 2026-10-25)

## Related

- [llama.cpp facts and sources](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/llama-cpp)
- [Local LLMs and model platforms: all tools we track](https://theagenticweekly.com/best/llm-platforms)
- [llama.cpp vs GPT4All](https://theagenticweekly.com/compare/llama-cpp-vs-gpt4all)
- [Ollama vs llama.cpp](https://theagenticweekly.com/compare/ollama-vs-llama-cpp)

## Changelog

- 2026-10-25: First published from official pages read on 2026-10-25.

## How to cite

Agentic Weekly, "What is llama.cpp? Facts, license and pricing (Oct 2026)", last updated 2026-10-25, https://theagenticweekly.com/what-is/llama-cpp