--- title: "llamafile vs gollama" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/mozilla-ai-llamafile-vs-sammcj-gollama" tools: ["mozilla-ai-llamafile", "sammcj-gollama"] --- # llamafile vs gollama *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick llamafile if leverage llamafile for simplified deployment of language models across different platforms with its single file executable approach; pick gollama if gollama is an application written in Go that enables management of Ollama models using Terminal User Interfaces (TUI). [llamafile](https://docs.mozilla.ai/llamafile) reports 26k GitHub stars, 1.6k forks, and 211 open issues, last pushed Sep 16, 2026. [gollama](https://smcleod.net) has 1.8k stars, 113 forks, and 2 open issues, last pushed Jul 20, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [llamafile's repository](https://github.com/mozilla-ai/llamafile) and [gollama's repository](https://github.com/sammcj/gollama). | | [llamafile](/tools/mozilla-ai-llamafile.md) | [gollama](/tools/sammcj-gollama.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Distribute and run LLMs with a single file. | Go manage your Ollama models | | Stars | 25,999 | 1,837 | | Forks | 1,598 | 113 | | Open issues | 211 | 2 | | Language | C++ | Go | | Adopt for | Leverage llamafile for simplified deployment of language models across different platforms with its single file executable approach. | gollama is an application written in Go that enables management of Ollama models using Terminal User Interfaces (TUI). | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Other | MIT License allows for free use and modification under the terms of the license agreement provided with the software. | | Categories | Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks | Developer Tools, LLM Frameworks | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [llamafile](/tools/mozilla-ai-llamafile.md) | [gollama](/tools/sammcj-gollama.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Steady (60%) | | Days since push | 3d | 61d | | Open issues (now) | 211 | 2 | | Stars delta | +529 (30d) | +5 (30d) | | Open issues delta | -1 (30d) | +1 (30d) | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/mozilla-ai-llamafile/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/sammcj-gollama/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: llamafile - **Adopt for:** Leverage llamafile for simplified deployment of language models across different platforms with its single file executable approach. ## Decision facts: gollama - **Adopt for:** gollama is an application written in Go that enables management of Ollama models using Terminal User Interfaces (TUI). - **License detail:** MIT License allows for free use and modification under the terms of the license agreement provided with the software. ## Choose when ### Choose llamafile if… - llamafile is primarily C++; gollama is Go. - License: llamafile is Other, gollama is MIT. - Tags unique to llamafile: cross-platform, llama-cpp, local-ai, local-inference. - Also covers Inference & Serving. - - You require cross-platform support for your LLM deployments and prefer managing them via a single file. ### Choose gollama if… - gollama is primarily Go; llamafile is C++. - License: gollama is MIT, llamafile is Other. - Tags unique to gollama: ai, ggml, linux, llm. - Also covers Developer Tools. - Use gollama when you work with Ollama models and prefer tools built using Go. ## When NOT to use llamafile - - If you need extensive customization options that cannot be handled through a single file approach. - - In environments where dependency management outside of the single executable is mandatory. ## When NOT to use gollama - Do not use gollama if your development environment does not support Go or requires a web-based UI instead of TUI. - Avoid using gollama when working with non-Ollama models, as it is specifically designed to manage Ollama models only. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between llamafile and gollama? llamafile: Distribute and run LLMs with a single file.. gollama: Go manage your Ollama models. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose llamafile over gollama? Choose llamafile over gollama when llamafile is primarily C++; gollama is Go; License: llamafile is Other, gollama is MIT; Tags unique to llamafile: cross-platform, llama-cpp, local-ai, local-inference; Also covers Inference & Serving; - You require cross-platform support for your LLM deployments and prefer managing them via a single file. ### When should I choose gollama over llamafile? Choose gollama over llamafile when gollama is primarily Go; llamafile is C++; License: gollama is MIT, llamafile is Other; Tags unique to gollama: ai, ggml, linux, llm; Also covers Developer Tools; Use gollama when you work with Ollama models and prefer tools built using Go. ### When should I avoid llamafile? - If you need extensive customization options that cannot be handled through a single file approach. - In environments where dependency management outside of the single executable is mandatory. ### When should I avoid gollama? Do not use gollama if your development environment does not support Go or requires a web-based UI instead of TUI. Avoid using gollama when working with non-Ollama models, as it is specifically designed to manage Ollama models only. ### Is llamafile or gollama more popular on GitHub? llamafile has more GitHub stars (25,999 vs 1,837). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are llamafile and gollama open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (llamafile: Other, gollama: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to llamafile or gollama? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [llamafile alternatives](/tools/mozilla-ai-llamafile/alternatives) and [gollama alternatives](/tools/sammcj-gollama/alternatives) ([llamafile markdown twin](/tools/mozilla-ai-llamafile/alternatives.md), [gollama markdown twin](/tools/sammcj-gollama/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/mozilla-ai-llamafile-vs-sammcj-gollama.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, llamafile or gollama? llamafile: Very active. gollama: Steady. 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 llamafile and gollama? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [llamafile trust report](/tools/mozilla-ai-llamafile/trust); [gollama trust report](/tools/sammcj-gollama/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=mozilla-ai-llamafile`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=mozilla-ai-llamafile) - 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/_