Alternatives
Best textgen alternatives in 2026
textgen is open-source desktop app for running local language models. These 9 alternatives come from the same rankings, ordered by editorial score. Connected products carry a small, disclosed lift.
Ranked alternatives
- 1
Ollama
The simplest way to run open models locally on macOS, Linux and Windows, with an MIT-licensed runtime. Cloud models and higher tiers are paid, and speed depends on your hardware.
Best for Running open models from a command line
macOSLinuxWindowsFree plan, paid upgradesOpen source
- 2
llama.cpp
The engine many local tools build on, with GGUF support, a server and a library API. It needs command-line comfort, so beginners will find Ollama or Jan easier.
Best for Developers who want a local inference engine
Command lineFree and open sourceOpen source
- 3
LM Studio
The friendliest graphical way to download and chat with local models, with a local server for other tools. The app is closed source, unlike llama.cpp or Jan, and it is aimed at desktops rather than servers.
Best for Trying local models through a polished desktop app
WindowsmacOSLinuxFree
- 4
GPT4All
A desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux with local document chat and an MIT license. It offers fewer controls than the llama.cpp engine it builds on.
Best for Desktop chat with local documents
WindowsmacOSLinuxFree and open sourceOpen source
- 5
Jan
An open-source desktop chat app for macOS, Windows and Linux that runs offline and can connect to cloud providers. It is a finished app rather than an engine, so it gives less developer control than llama.cpp.
Best for Offline chat on a personal computer
macOSWindowsLinuxFree and open sourceOpen source
- 6
KoboldCpp
Single-file AGPL-3.0 runner for GGUF models, with the KoboldAI Lite interface and image, speech and music generation on Windows, Linux and macOS. Its copyleft license and wider feature set place it below Ollama.
Best for Single-file local writing and chat with GGUF models
WindowsLinuxmacOSFree and open sourceOpen source
- 7
llamafile
Packages a model and its runtime into one executable that runs on macOS, Linux, Windows and BSD. Windows cannot run executables over 4 GB, which rules out larger models there.
Best for Sharing a model as a single portable file
Command linemacOSLinuxWindowsFree and open sourceOpen source
- 8
MLX LM
MIT-licensed Python package for running and tuning models with MLX on Mac, installed with pip or conda. Large models need macOS 15.0 or later, and the tool is limited to Mac computers, so it ranks below the cross-platform runners.
Best for Python scripting of local models on a Mac
macOSCommand lineFree and open sourceOpen source
- 9
LocalAI
A self-hosted server for text, image, voice and video models, MIT licensed and usable without a GPU. It runs as a server, so it is less direct for a personal chat app.
Best for Self-hosted AI server for several model types
Self-hostedFree and open sourceOpen source
About textgen alternatives
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All articles- Roundups · 6 min readBest ChatGPT alternatives for chat, search and local modelsCompare ChatGPT alternatives by free limits, privacy, model access, coding and research. See hosted chatbots, search-first tools and local model runners.
- Explainers · 5 min readLocal LLM runners explained: running models on your computerWhat running an AI model locally means, how hardware limits it, when it makes sense, and how local runners such as Ollama compare with hosted chatbots.
