kitio.aiAI Horde vs LocalAI
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. AI Horde starts at Free and LocalAI starts at Free. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Volunteer GPU network
- Image and text generation
- REST API
- Kudos priority system
- Run your own worker
- OpenAI-compatible API
- Multiple backends
- Text, image and audio
- Model gallery
- Docker images
| Feature | AI Horde | LocalAI |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Free crowdsourced network for image and text generation | Self-hosted, OpenAI-compatible API for local text, image and audio models |
| Category | Models & APIs | Models & APIs |
| Pricing model | Free | Free |
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes, fully free | Yes, fully free |
| Made by | Haidra | LocalAI contributors |
| Based in | – | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
AI Horde starts at Free and LocalAI starts at Free. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
AI Horde
- Free to use
- Open REST API for developers
- Contributors get faster service
- Wait times depend on volunteer capacity
- Model choice depends on workers online
- No service guarantees
LocalAI
- One API for many model types
- Runs without a GPU
- Fully self-hosted
- Setup can be fiddly
- Performance varies by backend
- Smaller community than Ollama
Which one should you choose?
Choose AI Horde if you want:
- Free to use
- Open REST API for developers
- Contributors get faster service
Watch out: wait times depend on volunteer capacity.
Choose LocalAI if you want:
- One API for many model types
- Runs without a GPU
- Fully self-hosted
Watch out: setup can be fiddly.
AI Horde vs LocalAI FAQ
What is the difference between AI Horde and LocalAI?
AI Horde: Free crowdsourced network for image and text generation. LocalAI: Self-hosted, OpenAI-compatible API for local text, image and audio models. Both are models & apis tools.
Is AI Horde or LocalAI cheaper?
AI Horde starts at Free and LocalAI starts at Free. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do AI Horde and LocalAI have free plans?
AI Horde: Yes, fully free. LocalAI: Yes, fully free.
Who makes AI Horde?
AI Horde is made by Haidra.
Who makes LocalAI?
LocalAI is made by LocalAI contributors.
Which should I choose, AI Horde or LocalAI?
Choose AI Horde if you value free to use and open rest api for developers. Choose LocalAI if you value one api for many model types and runs without a gpu.