Runtime comparison - verified
Ollama vs llama.cpp
Ollama and llama.cpp (ggml-org), compared field by field from their official docs as of October 18, 2026. Their docs differ on 4 feature points, listed below; the table also shows versions, install methods and links.
Key differences
- Interface: Ollama lists Desktop app and llama.cpp does not.
- Backends: llama.cpp lists SYCL, NPU and Other and Ollama does not.
- Model formats: Ollama lists Safetensors and llama.cpp does not.
- MCP client: Ollama does not state it in its docs; llama.cpp 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 | Ollama | llama.cpp |
|---|---|---|
| VendorDiffers | Ollama | ggml-org |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Latest releaseDiffers | v0.40.6 | v0.7.0 |
| Release dateDiffers | October 16, 2026 | October 15, 2026 |
| InterfaceDiffers | CLI, Server, Desktop app, Docker | CLI, Server, Docker |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| BackendsDiffers | CPU, CUDA, ROCm, Metal, Vulkan | CPU, CUDA, ROCm, Metal, Vulkan, SYCL, NPU, Other |
| Model formatsDiffers | GGUF, Safetensors | GGUF |
| OpenAI-compatible API | Yeshttp://localhost:11434/v1 | Yesllama-server listens on http://127.0.0.1:9931 by default (--host 127.0.0.1, --port 9931); OpenAI-compatible routes are under /v1 |
| Anthropic-compatible API | Yes | Yes |
| Tool calling | Yes | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Vision (image input) | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-GPU | Yes | Yes |
| MCP clientDiffers | Not stated | Yes |
| Install methods listedDiffers | macOS; Windows; Linux; Docker (CPU only) | macOS / Linux (curl); Windows (PowerShell); macOS / Linux (Homebrew); Windows (Winget) |
| Run exampleDiffers | ollama run gemma4 | llama serve -hf ggml-org/Qwen3.5-0.8B-GGUF |
| Audience, per the vendorDiffers | 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. | Developers who want a dependency-free C/C++ inference engine, with a CLI and an OpenAI-compatible server, for running GGUF models on a wide range of CPUs and GPUs locally or in the cloud. |
| HomepageDiffers | ollama.com | github.com/ggml-org/llama.cpp |
| Source repositoryDiffers | github.com/ollama/ollama | github.com/ggml-org/llama.cpp |
Install both
Copied verbatim from the page linked under each command.
Ollama
Docker (CPU only)
docker run -d -v ollama:/root/.ollama -p 11434:11434 --name ollama ollama/ollamaSource: docs.ollama.com/docker
llama.cpp
macOS / Linux (curl)
curl -LsSf https://llama.app/install.sh | shSource: github.com/ggml-org/llama.cpp
Windows (PowerShell)
irm https://llama.app/install.ps1 | iexSource: github.com/ggml-org/llama.cpp
macOS / Linux (Homebrew)
brew install llama.cppSource: github.com/ggml-org/llama.cpp/blob/master/docs/install.md
Windows (Winget)
winget install llama.cppSource: github.com/ggml-org/llama.cpp/blob/master/docs/install.md
FAQ
What is the difference between Ollama and llama.cpp?
Going by their official docs: Interface: Ollama lists Desktop app and llama.cpp does not. Backends: llama.cpp lists SYCL, NPU and Other and Ollama does not. Model formats: Ollama lists Safetensors and llama.cpp does not. MCP client: Ollama does not state it in its docs; llama.cpp documents it.
Do Ollama and llama.cpp both have an OpenAI-compatible API?
Ollama: yes. http://localhost:11434/v1. llama.cpp: yes. llama-server listens on http://127.0.0.1:9931 by default (--host 127.0.0.1, --port 9931); OpenAI-compatible routes are under /v1.
Which platforms do Ollama and llama.cpp run on?
Ollama: macOS, Windows, Linux. llama.cpp: macOS, Windows, Linux. Both list macOS, Windows and Linux.
Are Ollama and llama.cpp open source?
Ollama is open source (MIT). llama.cpp is open source (MIT).
Do Ollama and llama.cpp support tool calling and MCP?
Tool calling: Ollama yes, llama.cpp yes. MCP client: Ollama not stated, llama.cpp yes. "Not stated" means the docs do not say.
What are the latest versions of Ollama and llama.cpp?
As of October 18, 2026: Ollama v0.40.6 (October 16, 2026) and llama.cpp v0.7.0 (October 15, 2026).
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