Ollama vs llama.cpp
llama.cpp is the C++ inference engine; Ollama is the model manager that wraps llama.cpp with a nicer CLI and an OpenAI-compatible API. Use llama.cpp directly for custom inference; use Ollama when you just want a 'ollama run llama3' experience.
Side-by-side data
| Project | GitHub Slowing | GitHub Slowing |
|---|---|---|
| PopScore | 0/100 | 0/100 |
| Stars | 89.5k | 71.8k |
| 7d ΔStar | 0 | 0 |
| Forks | 6.8k | 10.4k |
| Open Issues | 540 | 720 |
| Health | Slowing·35 | Slowing·34 |
| Maturity | Enterprise·80 | Enterprise·80 |
| Language | Go | C++ |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Created | 2023-06-15 | 2023-03-10 |
| Last push | 13d ago | 13d ago |
| Tldr (AI) | One-binary local LLM runner with a simple `ollama run` UX and broad model support. | Minimal-dependency C/C++ LLM inference engine with broad hardware support and aggressive quantization. |
Visual diff
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, ollama or llama.cpp?
Today the two are essentially tied on PopScore (0 vs 0). Both ollama and llama.cpp are healthy, actively maintained, and worth evaluating on fit rather than headline score.
How is PopScore calculated?
PopScore is a 0-100 score that combines star velocity (35%), fork engagement (20%), activity (25%), mentions (10%), and a noise penalty (10%). See the full formula. The score refreshes several times per day.
How fresh is this comparison?
All numbers are from the most recent sync run (within the last 6 hours). Project metadata (license, language, created date) is from GitHub directly. The verdict is a snapshot — check the live page for the latest.
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