What is Ollama?
Ollama is software for running and building with open AI models, either on your own computer or in the cloud. It is aimed at people who want to chat with models, connect them to existing agents and applications, or build software that uses model responses. The desktop software runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux, and developers can also use a REST API or the Python and JavaScript libraries.
Ollama Features:
Local and Cloud Models: Run open models on a macOS, Windows, or Linux computer, or access models through Ollama’s cloud service.
Model Library: Choose from a library that includes models such as Gemma, DeepSeek, Kimi, GLM, MiniMax, and gpt-oss.
REST API: Use an API to run and manage models, including sending chat messages and receiving model responses.
Python and JavaScript: Call Ollama from Python or JavaScript applications using its available libraries.
Command Line: Use the command-line interface to run a model or launch supported coding tools and agents.
Cloud Tool Calling: Cloud models trained to support tools are tested for tool calling and agent workflows before release.
Docker Image: Run Ollama using its official Docker image, in addition to the installers for desktop operating systems.
Ollama Benefits:
Keep Prompts Private: Running models locally gives users a way to work with prompts without sending them to Ollama’s cloud service; Ollama also states that prompts are not stored or used for training.
Choose Your Setup: Local and cloud options let users pick how they run models based on their preferred environment and workflow.
Build With Models: The API and language libraries let developers add model responses to their own applications instead of relying only on a separate chat interface.
Explore Open Models: A range of available models makes it possible to try different open-model options from the same tool.
Connect Existing Tools: Launching supported agents and coding tools from the command line can bring model use into workflows people already use.
Use Cases:
Local Model Chat: Run a model on a personal computer and use it for conversational prompts without sending those prompts to the cloud.
Application Prototyping: Call a model through the REST API or a language library while building an application that uses chat responses.
Coding Assistance: Launch supported coding tools, including Claude Code, Codex, Copilot CLI, and OpenCode, from Ollama.
Messaging Assistant: Connect Ollama with OpenClaw to use a personal AI assistant across messaging services such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, and Discord.
Model Exploration: Try models from the library locally or in the cloud when comparing options for a project or personal workflow.