# llama.cpp alternatives

URL: https://insidethemachine.ai/alternatives/llama-cpp
llama.cpp: The engine behind most local AI. Full control over speed, context and quantization.
Category: Runtimes & inference. Sorted by GitHub stars (checked 2026-10-16).

| name | what | licence | stars | md |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ollama | One command to download and run a model. | MIT | 183450 | https://insidethemachine.ai/setups/ollama.md |
| vLLM | High-throughput LLM serving engine. | Apache-2.0 | 93863 | https://insidethemachine.ai/setups/vllm.md |
| SGLang | High-throughput serving for LLMs and VLMs. | Apache-2.0 | 37175 | https://insidethemachine.ai/setups/sglang.md |
| MLX | Apple's array framework for Apple silicon. | MIT | 28797 | https://insidethemachine.ai/setups/mlx.md |
| llamafile | Package a model and runtime into one executable. | Other | 26260 | https://insidethemachine.ai/setups/llamafile.md |
| MLC LLM | Compile and run LLMs on any device. | Apache-2.0 | 23249 | https://insidethemachine.ai/setups/mlc-llm.md |
| KoboldCpp | One-file GGUF runner with a built-in UI. | AGPL-3.0 | 12009 | https://insidethemachine.ai/setups/koboldcpp.md |
| MLX Examples | Official MLX example models and scripts. | MIT | 9012 | https://insidethemachine.ai/setups/mlx-examples.md |
| MLX LM | Runs LLMs natively on Apple silicon. | MIT | 7322 | https://insidethemachine.ai/setups/mlx-lm.md |
| llama-swap | Hot-swaps models behind one OpenAI-style endpoint. | MIT | 5964 | https://insidethemachine.ai/setups/llama-swap.md |
| MLX-VLM | Vision-language models on MLX. | MIT | 5628 | https://insidethemachine.ai/setups/mlx-vlm.md |
| LM Studio | A desktop app for local models. | MIT | 5352 | https://insidethemachine.ai/setups/lm-studio.md |