kitio.aiOllama vs DeepSpeed
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. DeepSpeed is completely free, while Ollama is freemium.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- One-command model runs
- OpenAI-compatible local API
- Model library
- Desktop chat app
- Ollama Cloud
- ZeRO memory optimization
- CPU and NVMe offload
- Pipeline and tensor parallelism
- Mixture-of-experts support
- Inference optimizations
- Autotuning
| Feature | Ollama | DeepSpeed |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Run open models locally with one command, plus optional cloud models | Open-source library for fast, memory-efficient distributed training |
| Category | Models & APIs | Models & APIs |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free |
| Starting price | $20/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes, fully free |
| Made by | Ollama | Microsoft |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
DeepSpeed is completely free, while Ollama is freemium.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
5 plans
Pay as you go
Free
- Run models locally for free
- Pay per token for cloud models
- 3 concurrent requests
Pro
$20/mo
- $60 of usage credits per month
- Access to larger pro models
Max
$100/mo
- $300 of usage credits per month
- 10 concurrent requests
- Early access to new models
Team
$500/mo
- Unlimited users
- $1,000 shared credits per month
- Centralized billing, priority support
Enterprise
Custom
- Cost budgets per user and key
- Dedicated Slack support
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
Ollama
- Very easy local setup
- Huge tool ecosystem
- Free for local use
- Fewer tuning options than llama.cpp
- Large models need strong hardware
- Cloud limits can change
DeepSpeed
- Free and open source
- Trains models larger than GPU memory
- Works with Hugging Face Transformers
- Steep learning curve for configuration
- Benefits mostly multi-GPU setups
- Docs assume deep ML background
Which one should you choose?
Choose Ollama if you want:
- Very easy local setup
- Huge tool ecosystem
- Free for local use
Watch out: fewer tuning options than llama.cpp.
Choose DeepSpeed if you want:
- Free and open source
- Trains models larger than GPU memory
- Works with Hugging Face Transformers
Watch out: steep learning curve for configuration.
Ollama vs DeepSpeed FAQ
What is the difference between Ollama and DeepSpeed?
Ollama: Run open models locally with one command, plus optional cloud models. DeepSpeed: Open-source library for fast, memory-efficient distributed training. Both are models & apis tools.
Is Ollama or DeepSpeed cheaper?
DeepSpeed is completely free, while Ollama is freemium.
Do Ollama and DeepSpeed have free plans?
Ollama: Yes. DeepSpeed: Yes, fully free.
Who makes Ollama?
Ollama is made by Ollama, based in United States.
Who makes DeepSpeed?
DeepSpeed is made by Microsoft, based in United States.
Which should I choose, Ollama or DeepSpeed?
Choose Ollama if you value very easy local setup and huge tool ecosystem. Choose DeepSpeed if you value free and open source and trains models larger than gpu memory.