Ollama is a powerful command-line tool that enables local execution of large language models (LLMs) like LLaMA 3, Mistral, and others. But not everyone is comfortable using CLI tools. That’s where UI-based applications come in handy.
In this blog, we’ll list the best graphical user interface (GUI) apps that integrate with Ollama to make model interaction easier. We’ll also walk through how to install them on macOS, Windows, and Linux.
🔍 Why Use a GUI with Ollama?
While ollama run llama3 in the terminal works great for developers, a user-friendly interface:
- Makes multi-turn conversations easier
- Helps non-tech users interact with models
- Supports chat history, formatting, model switching
- Provides a visual experience for AI tasks
🧩 Top User Interface Applications for Ollama AI
Here are some community-loved UI frontends for Ollama:
1. Open WebUI
Open WebUI is a sleek, modern web interface for Ollama. It supports multi-turn chat, model selection, and more.
- 🌐 Website: https://github.com/open-webui/open-webui
✅ Features:
- Supports multiple models
- Simple chat interface
- Dark mode, user sessions
- Runs locally in browser
💻 Installation (Cross-Platform using Docker):
Docker Required
docker run -d \
-p 3000:3000 \
-e OLLAMA_API_BASE_URL=http://host.docker.internal:11434 \
--name open-webui \
ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main
- Then, visit
http://localhost:3000in your browser.
2. Continue (VS Code Extension)
Continue is an AI-powered coding assistant that integrates with Ollama.
- 🌐 Website: https://continue.dev
✅ Features:
- Coding-focused chat
- Inline suggestions
- Model switching
💻 Installation:
macOS / Windows / Linux:
- Open VS Code
- Go to Extensions (
Ctrl+Shift+X) - Search for “Continue”
- Click Install
- Configure
ollamaas the model provider in settings
3. Text Generation WebUI (Oobabooga)
Although originally designed for GGUF and Transformers, Text Generation WebUI supports Ollama via API bridging.
💻 Installation (Advanced Users):
git clone https://github.com/oobabooga/text-generation-webui
cd text-generation-webui
pip install -r requirements.txt
python server.py --ollama
Use
--ollamaflag to connect it with your Ollama server.
4. LibreChat (Formerly ChatGPT UI)
LibreChat is a multi-model chatbot UI supporting Ollama, OpenAI, and more.
- 🌐 GitHub: https://github.com/danny-avila/LibreChat
💻 Installation (Docker Recommended):
git clone https://github.com/danny-avila/LibreChat
cd LibreChat
docker-compose up -d
Configure OLLAMA_API_BASE_URL to http://host.docker.internal:11434
🧰 Platform-Specific Ollama Installation Guide
Before using these interfaces, Ollama must be installed locally.
🖥️ macOS
brew install ollama
ollama run llama3
🪟 Windows
- Download Ollama from https://ollama.com/download
- Run the installer.
- Open terminal or PowerShell:
ollama run llama3
🐧 Linux
curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh
ollama run llama3
Make sure to test the Ollama server at
http://localhost:11434before connecting UI apps.
💡 Final Thoughts
While Ollama shines as a CLI tool, pairing it with a modern UI can make the experience more accessible, collaborative, and productive. Whether you’re coding with VS Code, chatting through a browser UI, or running advanced model pipelines, these interfaces bridge the gap between power and usability.
