Ollama vs vLLM
| Ollama | vLLM | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Local single-user prototyping and laptop installs | Multi-user GPU serving with high concurrency |
| Setup | One-line install, model library, OpenAI-compatible localhost API | Python server, Hugging Face weights, CUDA/ROCm tuned |
| Throughput | Fine for interactive chat; not built for heavy batch concurrency | Continuous batching and PagedAttention for production TPS |
| Hardware | macOS, Windows, Linux, Docker — CPU or consumer GPU | Linux NVIDIA/AMD servers (Windows via WSL2) |
Verdict
Start with Ollama for local installs and editor wiring. Move to vLLM when you need multi-user production throughput on a GPU server.