GPUStack vs Ollama
Short answer
GPUStack: GPU cluster manager that deploys vLLM, SGLang and other engines behind an OpenAI-compatible API. Ollama: The simplest way to download and run open-weight LLMs locally behind an API. Both are in our Local model runtimes category.
Choose GPUStack if you want: simpler deploy (one container vs a multi-container stack).
Choose Ollama if you want: no GPU server needed and larger community (185k vs 5.9k GitHub stars).
Ollama publishes no official RAM figure, so we cannot compare hosting cost directly.
Last updated · computed from each project's official docs and live GitHub data · sources
GPUStack vs Ollama side by side
| GPUStack | Ollama | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Local model runtimes | Local model runtimes |
| What it is | GPU cluster manager that deploys vLLM, SGLang and other engines behind an OpenAI-compatible API. | The simplest way to download and run open-weight LLMs locally behind an API. |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| License type | Permissive | Permissive |
| License conditions | Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep the Apache-2.0 license and notices. GPUStack Enterprise is a separate commercial edition. Models keep their own licenses. | Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed. Individual models have their own licenses. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| GitHub stars | 5.9k | 185k |
| Last commit | Oct 26, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Latest release | v2.3.0 | v0.40.11 |
| Minimum hardware | Not published | Not published |
| Recommended hardware | Not published | Not published |
| RAM measured by us | Not tested yet | 85 MiB idle, 1.9 GiB working (our test, v0.40.8, Oct 22, 2026) |
| GPU | Required on worker nodes (Linux only): for NVIDIA, a driver supporting CUDA 12.8 or higher plus the NVIDIA Container Toolkit; for AMD, ROCm 7.0 or higher. The GPUStack server itself does not need a GPU. | NVIDIA GPUs need compute capability 5.0+ and driver 550+ (570+ for compute capability 5.0–6.2). CPU-only also works. |
| Est. server cost | GPU server (not estimated) | from €19.99/mo (based on our test, not official) |
| Deploy method | Docker | Docker (or install script) |
| Known gotchas | 4 listed | 2 listed |
| Telemetry | Not documented | Not documented |
| Calls home by default | Yes, by default | Yes, by default |
| SSO (OIDC / SAML / LDAP) | Free (OIDC free · SAML free) | Not documented |
| Audit log | Not documented | Not documented |
| RBAC | Basic free, more in paid plan | Not documented |
| Details | Full GPUStack guide → | Full Ollama guide → |
Key differences
- License: GPUStack: Apache-2.0 (Permissive). Ollama: MIT (Permissive).
- GPU: GPUStack: needed for practical use. Ollama: optional / see notes.
- Est. server cost: GPUStack: GPU server (not estimated). Ollama: not estimated (no official RAM figure).
- Deploy: GPUStack: Docker · single container. Ollama: Docker (or install script) · multi-container stack.
- GitHub stars: GPUStack: 5.9k. Ollama: 185k.
- Latest release: GPUStack: v2.3.0 (Oct 23, 2026). Ollama: v0.40.11 (Oct 24, 2026).
Same for both: Category: Local model runtimes; Official hardware: not published; Status: Active; Last commit: Oct 26, 2026.
GPUStack vs Ollama: FAQ
GPUStack or Ollama: which should a small business choose?
Choose GPUStack if you want: simpler deploy (one container vs a multi-container stack). Choose Ollama if you want: no GPU server needed and larger community (185k vs 5.9k GitHub stars). Ollama publishes no official RAM figure, so we cannot compare hosting cost directly.
Which is cheaper to self-host, GPUStack or Ollama?
GPUStack: GPU server (not estimated). Ollama: not estimated (no official RAM figure). Our estimate is the cheapest Hetzner Cloud plan that meets each project's official RAM and vCPU figure; it covers the server only.
How much hardware do GPUStack and Ollama need?
GPUStack: not published. Ollama: not published. GPUStack needs a GPU for practical use.
What is the license difference between GPUStack and Ollama?
GPUStack: Apache-2.0 (Permissive). Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep the Apache-2.0 license and notices. GPUStack Enterprise is a separate commercial edition. Models keep their own licenses. Ollama: MIT (Permissive). Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed. Individual models have their own licenses. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Is GPUStack or Ollama more actively maintained?
GPUStack: Active, last commit Oct 26, 2026. Ollama: Active, last commit Oct 26, 2026. GitHub data refreshed Oct 26, 2026.
Which is easier to deploy, GPUStack or Ollama?
GPUStack installs via Docker (single container); Ollama via Docker (or install script) (multi-container stack). GPUStack lists 4 known gotchas and Ollama lists 2; see each app page.
Related
- GPUStack self-hosting guide · Ollama self-hosting guide
- All GPUStack alternatives, ranked
- All Ollama alternatives, ranked
- GPUStack vs llama.cpp
- GPUStack vs LocalAI
- GPUStack vs vLLM
- GPUStack vs Xinference
- Jan vs Ollama
- llama.cpp vs Ollama
- LocalAI vs Ollama
- Ollama vs vLLM
- Ollama vs Xinference
- Add a third app in the interactive comparison
Sources
- GPUStack GitHub repository: github.com/gpustack/gpustack
- GPUStack documentation, GPUStack hardware requirements: docs.gpustack.ai/latest/installation/requirements/
- GPUStack license: github.com/gpustack/gpustack/blob/main/LICENSE
- GPUStack deploy instructions: github.com/gpustack/gpustack#readme
- Ollama GitHub repository: github.com/ollama/ollama
- Ollama documentation, Ollama deploy instructions: docs.ollama.com/docker
- Ollama license: github.com/ollama/ollama/blob/main/LICENSE
- Ollama hardware requirements: docs.ollama.com/gpu
- Hetzner Cloud pricing used for cost estimates (read 2026-10-26): www.hetzner.com/cloud/regular-performance
- GitHub REST API (stars, commits, releases): docs.github.com/en/rest
Every value is generated from the same verified data as the app pages. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.