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Comparison

gateway vs LocalAI

Verdict

Pick gateway when license: gateway is Apache-2.0, LocalAI is MIT; pick LocalAI when license: LocalAI is MIT, gateway is Apache-2.0.

Markdown twin · gateway alternatives · LocalAI alternatives

GraphCanon updated today

gateway logo

gateway

missingstudio/gateway

★ 159pushed Apr 8, 2024
vs
LocalAI logo

LocalAI

mudler/LocalAI

★ 47kpushed Jul 11, 2026

Trust & integrity

SignalgatewayLocalAI
Maintenance
Dormant (824d since push)
As of today · github_public_v1
Very active (0d since push)
As of today · github_public_v1
Provenance
Not a fork · Organization account
As of today · github_public_v1
Not a fork · Personal account
As of today · github_public_v1
Security (OSV)
No lockfile
As of today · none
No MCP manifest
As of today · mcp_manifest
gateway trust reportLocalAI trust reportTrust methodology

Tagline

gateway
[deprecated] AI Gateway - core infrastructure stack for building production-ready AI Applications
LocalAI
Run any model - LLMs, vision, voice, image, video - on any hardware. No GPU required.

Stars

gateway
159
LocalAI
47k

Forks

gateway
17
LocalAI
4.2k

Open issues

gateway
10
LocalAI
207

Language

gateway
Go
LocalAI
Go

Adopt for

gateway
-
LocalAI
LocalAI is an open-source AI engine that supports the deployment of various models including LLMs and applications related to vision and audio across multiple hardware types without needing a GPU.

Persona

gateway
-
LocalAI
-

Runtime

gateway
-
LocalAI
-

License

gateway
Apache-2.0
LocalAI
MIT

Last pushed

gateway
Apr 8, 2024
LocalAI
Jul 11, 2026

Categories

gateway
Computer Vision, Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks
LocalAI
Computer Vision, LLM Frameworks, Speech & Audio

Trust and health

Maintenance

gateway
Dormant (18%)
LocalAI
Very active (96%)

Days since push

gateway
824d
LocalAI
0d

Open issues (now)

gateway
10
LocalAI
207

Owner type

gateway
Organization
LocalAI
User

Security scan

gateway
No lockfile
LocalAI
No MCP manifest

Full report

gateway
Trust report
LocalAI
Trust report

Choose gateway if…

  • License: gateway is Apache-2.0, LocalAI is MIT.
  • Tags unique to gateway: aistudio, gateway, generative-ai, grpc.
  • Also covers Inference & Serving.

When NOT to use gateway

  • Last GitHub push was 825 days ago (dormant maintenance, Apr 8, 2024). Validate activity before betting a new project on gateway.
  • Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic.
  • LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves.
GitHubDetails

Choose LocalAI if…

  • License: LocalAI is MIT, gateway is Apache-2.0.
  • Pricing: As an open-source project under the MIT license, it is free to use and distribute..
  • Tags unique to LocalAI: agents, audio-generation, decentralized, distributed.
  • Also covers Speech & Audio.
  • Use LocalAI when you need model flexibility, as it can run different types of models (LLMs, computer vision, speech & audio) on any type of hardware.

When NOT to use LocalAI

  • Avoid LocalAI if you need to leverage GPU-specific optimizations for performance acceleration as it promotes no-GPU usage, potentially sacrificing speed for accessibility.
  • Do not use LocalAI where specific language runtime environments are required that do not align with Go (the language in which LocalAI is written).
GitHubDetails

Explore

gateway trust report →LocalAI trust report →Computer Vision category →Inference & Serving category →LLM Frameworks category →Speech & Audio category →All comparisonsStack workflowsTrending tools

Sources

Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.

GitHub stars on cards: gateway 159 · LocalAI 47k (synced Jul 11, 2026).

Common questions

What is the difference between gateway and LocalAI?
gateway: [deprecated] AI Gateway - core infrastructure stack for building production-ready AI Applications. LocalAI: Run any model - LLMs, vision, voice, image, video - on any hardware. No GPU required.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
When should I choose gateway over LocalAI?
Choose gateway over LocalAI when License: gateway is Apache-2.0, LocalAI is MIT; Tags unique to gateway: aistudio, gateway, generative-ai, grpc; Also covers Inference & Serving.
When should I choose LocalAI over gateway?
Choose LocalAI over gateway when License: LocalAI is MIT, gateway is Apache-2.0; Pricing: As an open-source project under the MIT license, it is free to use and distribute.; Tags unique to LocalAI: agents, audio-generation, decentralized, distributed; Also covers Speech & Audio; Use LocalAI when you need model flexibility, as it can run different types of models (LLMs, computer vision, speech & audio) on any type of hardware.
When should I avoid gateway?
Last GitHub push was 825 days ago (dormant maintenance, Apr 8, 2024). Validate activity before betting a new project on gateway. Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic. LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves.
When should I avoid LocalAI?
Avoid LocalAI if you need to leverage GPU-specific optimizations for performance acceleration as it promotes no-GPU usage, potentially sacrificing speed for accessibility. Do not use LocalAI where specific language runtime environments are required that do not align with Go (the language in which LocalAI is written).
Is gateway or LocalAI more popular on GitHub?
LocalAI has more GitHub stars (47,477 vs 159). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
Are gateway and LocalAI open source?
Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (gateway: Apache-2.0, LocalAI: MIT).
Where can I find alternatives to gateway or LocalAI?
GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at gateway alternatives and LocalAI alternatives (gateway markdown twin, LocalAI markdown twin), 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 mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.
Which is better maintained, gateway or LocalAI?
gateway: 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 gateway and LocalAI?
GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: gateway trust report; LocalAI trust report.