Local AI tools / For Apple Silicon Macs
10 free local AI tools run models directly on Apple Silicon Macs: Ollama, LM Studio, Jan, GPT4All, AnythingLLM, llama.cpp, MLX LM, KoboldCpp, Text Generation WebUI and LocalAI. The easiest to start with are Ollama, LM Studio, Jan, GPT4All and AnythingLLM. MLX LM is usually the fastest on M-series chips. Chat interfaces and coding agents such as Open WebUI, Continue and Cline work on any GPU because they connect to one of these engines.
Check which models your GPU can run| Tool | Best for | GPUs | Runs on | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ollama | The simplest way to run models from the command line, with a local API other apps can use | NVIDIA, AMD, Apple Silicon, CPU only | Windows, macOS, Linux | Beginner |
| LM Studio | A polished desktop app for browsing, downloading and chatting with models | NVIDIA, AMD, Intel Arc, Apple Silicon, CPU only | Windows, macOS, Linux | Beginner |
| Jan | An open-source, offline ChatGPT-style desktop app | NVIDIA, AMD, Intel Arc, Apple Silicon, CPU only | Windows, macOS, Linux | Beginner |
| GPT4All | Private chat with your own documents on an ordinary PC | NVIDIA, AMD, Apple Silicon, CPU only | Windows, macOS, Linux | Beginner |
| AnythingLLM | Chatting with documents and building simple agents, all local | NVIDIA, AMD, Apple Silicon, CPU only | Windows, macOS, Linux | Beginner |
| llama.cpp | Maximum control and the widest hardware support; the engine behind many other tools | NVIDIA, AMD, Intel Arc, Apple Silicon, CPU only | Windows, macOS, Linux | Advanced |
| MLX LM | The fastest way to run models on Apple Silicon Macs | Apple Silicon | macOS | Intermediate |
| KoboldCpp | Story writing and role-play with a single download | NVIDIA, AMD, Apple Silicon, CPU only | Windows, macOS, Linux | Intermediate |
| Text Generation WebUI | Trying many model formats and settings from one web interface | NVIDIA, AMD, Apple Silicon, CPU only | Windows, macOS, Linux | Intermediate |
| LocalAI | A drop-in local replacement for the OpenAI API, including images and audio | NVIDIA, AMD, Intel Arc, Apple Silicon, CPU only | Windows, macOS, Linux | Intermediate |
| Tool | Best for | GPUs | Runs on | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open WebUI | A ChatGPT-like web interface for Ollama or any OpenAI-compatible server | Uses your engine's GPU support | Windows, macOS, Linux | Intermediate |
| Continue | AI code completion and chat inside VS Code and JetBrains using local models | Uses your engine's GPU support | Windows, macOS, Linux | Intermediate |
| Cline | An autonomous coding agent in VS Code that can use local models | Uses your engine's GPU support | Windows, macOS, Linux | Intermediate |
| Aider | Pair programming in the terminal with git-aware edits | Uses your engine's GPU support | Windows, macOS, Linux | Intermediate |
| OpenCode | A terminal coding agent that can run on local models | Uses your engine's GPU support | Windows, macOS, Linux | Intermediate |
M3 Ultra 512GBM3 Ultra 256GBM3 Ultra 96GBM4 Max 128GBM4 Max 64GBM4 Max 36GBM4 Pro 48GBM4 Pro 24GBM5 32GBM5 16GBM4 32GBM4 16GB