Runtime comparison - verified
Lemonade vs Ollama
Lemonade (lemonade-sdk (community project sponsored by AMD)) and Ollama, compared field by field from their official docs as of October 18, 2026. Their docs differ on 5 feature points, listed below; the table also shows versions, install methods and links.
Key differences
- License: Lemonade uses Apache-2.0; Ollama uses MIT.
- Backends: Lemonade lists NPU and Ollama does not.
- Model formats: Lemonade lists ONNX and Other and Ollama does not; Ollama lists Safetensors and Lemonade does not.
- Structured outputs: Lemonade does not state it in its docs; Ollama documents it.
- Multi-GPU: Lemonade does not state it in its docs; Ollama documents it.
Generated from the fields below that differ. Versions, dates and links are left to the table.
Side by side
Every field we track, with the source linked on each value. Rows marked Differs are where the two runtimes' docs differ.
| Field | Lemonade | Ollama |
|---|---|---|
| VendorDiffers | lemonade-sdk (community project sponsored by AMD) | Ollama |
| LicenseDiffers | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Latest releaseDiffers | v2026.42.1 | v0.40.6 |
| Release dateDiffers | October 14, 2026 | October 16, 2026 |
| Interface | CLI, Server, Desktop app, Docker | CLI, Server, Desktop app, Docker |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux, macOS | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| BackendsDiffers | CPU, CUDA, ROCm, Vulkan, Metal, NPU | CPU, CUDA, ROCm, Metal, Vulkan |
| Model formatsDiffers | GGUF, ONNX, Other | GGUF, Safetensors |
| OpenAI-compatible API | Yeshttp://localhost:13305/v1 (README Python example uses http://localhost:13305/api/v1) | Yeshttp://localhost:11434/v1 |
| Anthropic-compatible API | Yes | Yes |
| Tool calling | Yes | Yes |
| Structured outputsDiffers | Not stated | Yes |
| Vision (image input) | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-GPUDiffers | Not stated | Yes |
| MCP client | Not stated | Not stated |
| Install methods listedDiffers | ubuntu (PPA); linux (Snap); docker | macOS; Windows; Linux; Docker (CPU only) |
| Run exampleDiffers | lemonade run Gemma-4-E2B-it-GGUF | ollama run gemma4 |
| Audience, per the vendorDiffers | People who want a local AI server that runs LLMs and other models on their own CPU, GPU or NPU and exposes them through OpenAI, Anthropic and Ollama compatible APIs, with optimizations for AMD Ryzen AI, Radeon and Strix Halo PCs. | Developers who want to download and run open models from the command line, with a local REST API on port 11434 and built-in launchers for coding agents such as Claude Code and Codex. |
| HomepageDiffers | lemonade-server.ai | ollama.com |
| Source repositoryDiffers | github.com/lemonade-sdk/lemonade | github.com/ollama/ollama |
Install both
Copied verbatim from the page linked under each command.
Lemonade
ubuntu (PPA)
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:lemonade-team/stable
sudo apt install lemonade-serverSource: github.com/lemonade-sdk/lemonade/blob/main/docs/guide/install/ubuntu.md
linux (Snap)
sudo snap install lemonade-serverSource: github.com/lemonade-sdk/lemonade/blob/main/docs/guide/install/ubuntu.md
docker
docker run -d \
--name lemonade-server \
-p 13305:13305 \
-v lemonade-cache:/opt/lemonade/.cache/huggingface \
-v lemonade-llama:/opt/lemonade/llama \
-v lemonade-data:/opt/lemonade/.cache/lemonade \
-v lemonade-config:/opt/lemonade/.config/lemonade \
ghcr.io/lemonade-sdk/lemonade-server:latestSource: github.com/lemonade-sdk/lemonade/blob/main/docs/guide/install/docker.md
Ollama
Docker (CPU only)
docker run -d -v ollama:/root/.ollama -p 11434:11434 --name ollama ollama/ollamaSource: docs.ollama.com/docker
FAQ
What is the difference between Lemonade and Ollama?
Going by their official docs: License: Lemonade uses Apache-2.0; Ollama uses MIT. Backends: Lemonade lists NPU and Ollama does not. Model formats: Lemonade lists ONNX and Other and Ollama does not; Ollama lists Safetensors and Lemonade does not. Structured outputs: Lemonade does not state it in its docs; Ollama documents it. The table lists 1 more.
Do Lemonade and Ollama both have an OpenAI-compatible API?
Lemonade: yes. http://localhost:13305/v1 (README Python example uses http://localhost:13305/api/v1). Ollama: yes. http://localhost:11434/v1.
Which platforms do Lemonade and Ollama run on?
Lemonade: Windows, Linux, macOS. Ollama: macOS, Windows, Linux. Both list Windows, Linux and macOS.
Are Lemonade and Ollama open source?
Lemonade is open source (Apache-2.0). Ollama is open source (MIT).
Do Lemonade and Ollama support tool calling and MCP?
Tool calling: Lemonade yes, Ollama yes. MCP client: Lemonade not stated, Ollama not stated. "Not stated" means the docs do not say.
What are the latest versions of Lemonade and Ollama?
As of October 18, 2026: Lemonade v2026.42.1 (October 14, 2026) and Ollama v0.40.6 (October 16, 2026).
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