kitio.aillama.cpp vs Mirai
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. llama.cpp is completely free, while Mirai is freemium.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- GGUF format
- Low-bit quantization
- Many GPU backends
- OpenAI-compatible server
- Built-in web UI
- uzu inference engine
- Quantized on-device models
- Model conversion tools
- CLI and macOS app
- Published benchmarks
| Feature | llama.cpp | Mirai |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | C/C++ engine for running LLMs efficiently on CPUs and GPUs | On-device LLM engine and models for iPhone, iPad and Mac |
| Category | Models & APIs | Models & APIs |
| Pricing model | Free | Freemium |
| Starting price | Free | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes, fully free | Yes |
| Made by | ggml-org | Mirai Labs |
| Based in | – | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
llama.cpp is completely free, while Mirai is freemium.
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
llama.cpp
- Runs on modest hardware
- Very fast new-model support
- Foundation of many apps
- Command-line heavy
- Build options can confuse
- Less suited to high-concurrency serving
Mirai
- Runs fully offline on Apple devices
- Engine source on GitHub
- Benchmarks against MLX and llama.cpp
- Android support not yet available
- Commercial terms need a sales talk
- Limited to smaller models
Which one should you choose?
Choose llama.cpp if you want:
- Runs on modest hardware
- Very fast new-model support
- Foundation of many apps
Watch out: command-line heavy.
Choose Mirai if you want:
- Runs fully offline on Apple devices
- Engine source on GitHub
- Benchmarks against MLX and llama.cpp
Watch out: android support not yet available.
llama.cpp vs Mirai FAQ
What is the difference between llama.cpp and Mirai?
llama.cpp: C/C++ engine for running LLMs efficiently on CPUs and GPUs. Mirai: On-device LLM engine and models for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Both are models & apis tools.
Is llama.cpp or Mirai cheaper?
llama.cpp is completely free, while Mirai is freemium.
Do llama.cpp and Mirai have free plans?
llama.cpp: Yes, fully free. Mirai: Yes.
Who makes llama.cpp?
llama.cpp is made by ggml-org.
Who makes Mirai?
Mirai is made by Mirai Labs.
Which should I choose, llama.cpp or Mirai?
Choose llama.cpp if you value runs on modest hardware and very fast new-model support. Choose Mirai if you value runs fully offline on apple devices and engine source on github.