--- title: "dolly vs LocalAI" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/databrickslabs-dolly-vs-mudler-localai" tools: ["databrickslabs-dolly", "mudler-localai"] --- # dolly vs LocalAI *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick dolly if dolly is a large language model from Databricks, designed for both inference and training on the Databricks Machine Learning Platform. It is accessible via Hugging Face and requires specific GPU configurations for full-f; pick LocalAI if localAI is an open-source AI engine that supports running a variety of models including LLMs, vision, voice, image, and video models. [dolly](https://www.databricks.com/blog/2023/03/24/hello-dolly-democratizing-magic-chatgpt-open-models.html) reports 11k GitHub stars, 1.1k forks, and 5 open issues, last pushed Jun 30, 2023. [LocalAI](https://localai.io) has 49k stars, 4.5k forks, and 178 open issues, last pushed Sep 18, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [dolly's repository](https://github.com/databrickslabs/dolly) and [LocalAI's repository](https://github.com/mudler/LocalAI). | | [dolly](/tools/databrickslabs-dolly.md) | [LocalAI](/tools/mudler-localai.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Databricks' Dolly, a large language model trained on the Databricks Machine Learning Platform | Open-source AI engine for running various models on any hardware | | Stars | 10,808 | 49,150 | | Forks | 1,134 | 4,457 | | Open issues | 5 | 178 | | Language | Python | Go | | Adopt for | Dolly is a large language model from Databricks, designed for both inference and training on the Databricks Machine Learning Platform. It is accessible via Hugging Face and requires specific GPU configurations for full-f | LocalAI is an open-source AI engine that supports running a variety of models including LLMs, vision, voice, image, and video models on any hardware without requiring a GPU. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Dolly is licensed under the Apache-2.0 license, which is permissive and allows for free use, modification, and distribution of the software. | MIT | | Categories | Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks | AI Agents, Computer Vision, Data & Retrieval, Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks, Model Training, Speech & Audio | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [dolly](/tools/databrickslabs-dolly.md) | [LocalAI](/tools/mudler-localai.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Dormant (18%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 1175d | 0d | | Open issues (now) | 5 | 178 | | Stars delta | +3 (30d) | +650 (30d) | | Open issues delta | -1 (30d) | +22 (30d) | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/databrickslabs-dolly/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/mudler-localai/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: dolly - **Requirements:** Requires A100 GPUs for optimal performance.; Integration with the Databricks Machine Learning Platform is necessary for full functionality. - **Adopt for:** Dolly is a large language model from Databricks, designed for both inference and training on the Databricks Machine Learning Platform. It is accessible via Hugging Face and requires specific GPU configurations for full-f - **License detail:** Dolly is licensed under the Apache-2.0 license, which is permissive and allows for free use, modification, and distribution of the software. ## Decision facts: LocalAI - **Adopt for:** LocalAI is an open-source AI engine that supports running a variety of models including LLMs, vision, voice, image, and video models on any hardware without requiring a GPU. ## Choose when ### Choose dolly if… - dolly is primarily Python; LocalAI is Go. - License: dolly is Apache-2.0, LocalAI is MIT. - Requirements: Requires A100 GPUs for optimal performance.; Integration with the Databricks Machine Learning Platform is necessary for full functionality.. - Tags unique to dolly: chatbot, databricks, dolly, gpt. - When you need a language model that integrates seamlessly with the Databricks Machine Learning Platform for both training and inference. ### Choose LocalAI if… - LocalAI is primarily Go; dolly is Python. - License: LocalAI is MIT, dolly is Apache-2.0. - Tags unique to LocalAI: agents, ai, api, audio-generation. - Also covers AI Agents, Computer Vision, Data & Retrieval, Model Training, Speech & Audio. - LocalAI ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - When you need to run AI models on hardware that lacks a GPU, as LocalAI supports CPU-only operations. ## When NOT to use dolly - If your infrastructure does not support A100 GPUs or if you are unable to provision the required instance types in your region. - When you prefer not to use the Databricks Machine Learning Platform for your model training and inference needs. - If your project requires a model that is not licensed under Apache-2.0. ## When NOT to use LocalAI - If your project specifically requires GPU acceleration for performance reasons, as LocalAI can run on CPU-only setups but may not offer the same speed as GPU-accelerated alternatives. - When you need a tool that is tightly integrated with specific cloud services or proprietary hardware, as LocalAI is designed for flexibility across different hardware types. - If your project demands a proprietary solution with commercial support, as LocalAI is an open-source project with community-driven support. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between dolly and LocalAI? dolly: Databricks' Dolly, a large language model trained on the Databricks Machine Learning Platform. LocalAI: Open-source AI engine for running various models on any hardware. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose dolly over LocalAI? Choose dolly over LocalAI when dolly is primarily Python; LocalAI is Go; License: dolly is Apache-2.0, LocalAI is MIT; Requirements: Requires A100 GPUs for optimal performance.; Integration with the Databricks Machine Learning Platform is necessary for full functionality.; Tags unique to dolly: chatbot, databricks, dolly, gpt; When you need a language model that integrates seamlessly with the Databricks Machine Learning Platform for both training and inference. ### When should I choose LocalAI over dolly? Choose LocalAI over dolly when LocalAI is primarily Go; dolly is Python; License: LocalAI is MIT, dolly is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to LocalAI: agents, ai, api, audio-generation; Also covers AI Agents, Computer Vision, Data & Retrieval, Model Training, Speech & Audio; LocalAI ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When you need to run AI models on hardware that lacks a GPU, as LocalAI supports CPU-only operations. ### When should I avoid dolly? If your infrastructure does not support A100 GPUs or if you are unable to provision the required instance types in your region. When you prefer not to use the Databricks Machine Learning Platform for your model training and inference needs. If your project requires a model that is not licensed under Apache-2.0. ### When should I avoid LocalAI? If your project specifically requires GPU acceleration for performance reasons, as LocalAI can run on CPU-only setups but may not offer the same speed as GPU-accelerated alternatives. When you need a tool that is tightly integrated with specific cloud services or proprietary hardware, as LocalAI is designed for flexibility across different hardware types. If your project demands a proprietary solution with commercial support, as LocalAI is an open-source project with community-driven support. ### Is dolly or LocalAI more popular on GitHub? LocalAI has more GitHub stars (49,150 vs 10,808). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are dolly and LocalAI open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (dolly: Apache-2.0, LocalAI: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to dolly or LocalAI? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [dolly alternatives](/tools/databrickslabs-dolly/alternatives) and [LocalAI alternatives](/tools/mudler-localai/alternatives) ([dolly markdown twin](/tools/databrickslabs-dolly/alternatives.md), [LocalAI markdown twin](/tools/mudler-localai/alternatives.md)), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes. ### Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison? Yes. The markdown twin at [this comparison](/compare/databrickslabs-dolly-vs-mudler-localai.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, dolly or LocalAI? dolly: Dormant. LocalAI: Very active. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance. ### Where are the full trust reports for dolly and LocalAI? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [dolly trust report](/tools/databrickslabs-dolly/trust); [LocalAI trust report](/tools/mudler-localai/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=databrickslabs-dolly`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=databrickslabs-dolly) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_