Getting Started With Local Ai

BY | May 9, 2026 | Local AI

Getting Started with LocalAI and Ollama in 2026 – Run Powerful AI Completely Offline

With the explosion of interest in local LLMs, many people are asking: Should I start with Ollama or LocalAI? Both allow you to run powerful models like Llama 3.2, Mistral, Gemma, and Phi-3 completely offline with full privacy and no subscriptions.

Why Run AI Locally?

Major Advantages

Complete Privacy & Control

No data leaves your network • No recurring API costs • Works offline • Perfect for medical, legal, and financial work.

Best Starting Point

Ollama vs LocalAI

Ollama is simpler and faster for beginners. LocalAI shines when you need a full OpenAI-compatible API.

Recommendation

Start Here

Begin with Ollama. Move to LocalAI when you need deeper integration.

1. Getting Started with Ollama

Installation Commands

Linux: curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh
macOS: brew install ollama
Then simply run: ollama run llama3.2

Useful Commands

ollama list — See installed models
ollama pull mistral — Download a model
ollama serve — Start the server

Beautiful Chat Interface

Use Open WebUI with this command:

docker run -d -p 8080:8080 --add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway \
-v open-webui:/app/backend/data --name open-webui --restart always \
ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

2. Getting Started with LocalAI

Fast Docker Setup

CPU Version:
docker run -p 8080:8080 --name local-ai -v ~/localai/models:/build/models localai/localai:latest-aio-cpu

GPU Version (NVIDIA):
docker run -p 8080:8080 --gpus all localai/localai:latest-aio-gpu-nvidia-cuda-12

Hardware Recommendations for 2026

Entry Level

16–32GB RAM

Good for lighter models and testing.

Recommended

32GB+ RAM + GPU

NVIDIA GPU with 8GB+ VRAM makes a massive difference.

High Performance

Apple Silicon or Dedicated Build

M-series Macs and GPU-heavy machines perform exceptionally well.

Questions for the Community

Your Experience

Have you tried Ollama or LocalAI yet? Which one are you currently using?

Setup Tips

What was the hardest part of getting local AI running smoothly?

Use Cases

What do you want to use local AI for the most?

Running powerful AI completely offline has never been easier or more private. 2026 is an excellent time to start your local AI journey.

Disclaimer

This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not technical advice. Hardware performance and software compatibility can vary. Always test thoroughly in your environment.

DISCUSSION

No replies yet. Be the first to join the discussion!