ollama alternatives for Mac
ollama — Create, run, and share large language models (LLMs) — is installed 62,333 times a month through Homebrew. These are hand-picked alternatives that occupy the same slot, ordered by how comparable their user base is.
Run
brew install ollama to install ollama itself.- LM StudioApple silicon only · 10.5× smaller user base
- Diffusion Bee551.6× smaller user base
- Draw Things52.0× smaller user base
- Claude3.1× smaller user base
- ChatGPT4.8× smaller user base
- MacWhisper76.3× smaller user base
- BoltAI 21598.3× smaller user base
- Jan172.7× smaller user base
Full comparison
| ollama | LM Studio | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | CLI tool | GUI app |
| Category | AI & Machine Learning | AI & Machine Learning |
| Open source | Yes | Not declared |
| Licence | MIT | Not declared |
| Apple silicon | All Macs (binary package) | Apple silicon only |
| Latest version | 0.40.11 | 0.4.26,4 |
| Dependencies | 1 | 0 |
| Installs (30 days) | 62,333 | 5,922 |
| Install command | brew install ollama | brew install --cask lm-studio |
How we picked these
The list comes from a hand-maintained set of same-purpose apps, not from keyword matching. Alternatives are removed automatically when Homebrew no longer carries them. Ordering reflects 30-day install volume, not paid placement. Data updated 2026-10-26.