Local AI is simpler than it looks. Four steps below get you from nothing to chatting with a real LLM on your own hardware. No accounts or API keys are required for the local setup itself.

The Path

Four steps. Five minutes.

Click any command to copy it. Each step builds on the previous one — start at #1 and stop whenever you have what you need.

Security note: terminal commands and install scripts run on your own machine. Verify the source, inspect scripts before executing them, and use backups or an isolated environment when appropriate.

1
Install Ollama
One installer, all platforms. Handles model downloading, GPU detection, quantization, and an OpenAI-compatible API on localhost:11434. The single dependency for the rest of this guide.
curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh
Or download from ollama.com for Windows/Mac.
2
Pull your first model
One command downloads and runs it. Ollama auto-selects the best quantization for your hardware. Llama 3.2 3B is a good starter — small, fast, and still very capable.
ollama run llama3.2:3b
~2 GB download. You're chatting in under a minute.
3
Add a web UI
Ollama's CLI works, but a web interface makes it actually enjoyable. Open WebUI is the community standard — ChatGPT-like with multi-user, document upload, RAG, web search, and plugins.
docker run -d -p 3000:8080 --add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main
Open localhost:3000. ChatGPT-like interface, your machine.
4
Scale up
Ready for more? Pull bigger models, add RAG with your documents, or set up image/video generation. Browse the catalog to find what fits your GPU.
ollama pull qwen3:32b
For 24GB GPUs. Or hit the model index to compare options.
Frontend Tools

Your steering wheel

Models are engines. These tools are how you actually drive them. Most people end up using 2–3.

OllamaEssential
The foundation. CLI tool that downloads, manages, and serves LLMs locally. Built on llama.cpp. OpenAI-compatible API on port 11434 means everything else can plug into it.
Best for: Backend engine, API integration, developers who live in the terminal. Pairs with every UI below.
Open WebUIMost Popular
ChatGPT-like web interface for Ollama. Multi-user support, document upload, RAG, web search, plugins, and conversation history. 45K+ GitHub stars. Docker deploy.
Best for: Daily driver chat UI. Teams sharing a local AI server. Anyone who wants the ChatGPT experience privately.
LM StudioBeginner Friendly
Desktop app with built-in model browser and one-click downloads from Hugging Face. No Docker or CLI needed. Excellent Apple Silicon optimization. MCP tool support.
Best for: Non-technical users, Mac users, people who want zero CLI. Also provides a local API server.
AnythingLLMRAG Focused
Desktop + server app built around document Q&A. Drag-and-drop file ingestion, workspace-based chat, built-in vector store, and no-code agent builder. Connects to Ollama or cloud APIs.
Best for: Chatting with your own documents. Consulting firms with multiple client knowledge bases. RAG without writing code.
ComfyUICreative
Node-based visual workflow editor for image and video generation. The standard tool for Stable Diffusion, FLUX, Wan, and HunyuanVideo. Handles model loading, LoRA stacking, and pipeline orchestration.
Best for: All image/video generation on this site. Visual pipelines. LoRA workflows. The creative production stack.
Jan / GPT4All / LobeChatAlternatives
Jan: zero-config desktop app, bundles everything, no Ollama needed. GPT4All: Nomic's lightweight chat app with LocalDocs for file Q&A. LobeChat: polished mobile-first PWA with voice and multimodal support.
Best for: Jan for non-technical family/colleagues. GPT4All for simple local file chat. LobeChat for mobile-first users.
PinokioOne-Click
The "Steam for AI." Browser-based launcher that one-click installs and manages local AI apps — ComfyUI, Ollama, Open WebUI, Stable Diffusion, text-generation-webui, and dozens more. No terminal, no Python environments, no dependency conflicts.
Best for: Absolute beginners who want to skip all setup. Artists and creators who just want to generate. Installing multiple AI tools without breaking your system.
Text Generation WebUIPower User
Oobabooga's feature-rich web interface. Multiple backends (llama.cpp, transformers, ExLlama2, AutoGPTQ, AWQ). LoRA loading, fine-grained parameter control, extensions system, multimodal support. Zero telemetry, full privacy.
Best for: Advanced users who want maximum control over inference parameters. LoRA experimentation. Running models in formats beyond GGUF (GPTQ, AWQ, safetensors).