Ollama is an open-model runtime and access layer for developers, supporting models that execute locally as well as hosted open models used through coding agents. It lets teams retain an existing development setup while changing the underlying model and connects with coding agents, editors, and automation tools. The product is chiefly relevant to coding assistance, open-model experimentation, and AI workflows where developers need a clear choice over where inference runs.
Local use requires downloading the software and providing hardware appropriate for the selected model, while content processed locally remains on that machine. Cloud use instead requires an Ollama account, network access, and processing in Ollama’s supported hosting regions, so it does not share the same data boundary as local execution. Ollama suits developers prepared to select models and operate the relevant environment, and each model’s quality, speed, and resource requirements still need to be tested for the intended workload.