| +++ | |
| title = "Overview" | |
| weight = 1 | |
| toc = true | |
| description = "What is LocalAI?" | |
| tags = ["Beginners"] | |
| categories = [""] | |
| url = "/docs/overview" | |
| author = "Ettore Di Giacinto" | |
| icon = "info" | |
| +++ | |
| LocalAI is your complete AI stack for running AI models locally. It's designed to be simple, efficient, and accessible, providing a drop-in replacement for OpenAI's API while keeping your data private and secure. | |
| ## Why LocalAI? | |
| In today's AI landscape, privacy, control, and flexibility are paramount. LocalAI addresses these needs by: | |
| - **Privacy First**: Your data never leaves your machine | |
| - **Complete Control**: Run models on your terms, with your hardware | |
| - **Open Source**: MIT licensed and community-driven | |
| - **Flexible Deployment**: From laptops to servers, with or without GPUs | |
| - **Extensible**: Add new models and features as needed | |
| ## Core Components | |
| LocalAI is more than just a single tool - it's a complete ecosystem: | |
| 1. **[LocalAI Core](https://github.com/mudler/LocalAI)** | |
| - OpenAI-compatible API | |
| - Multiple model support (LLMs, image, audio) | |
| - Model Context Protocol (MCP) for agentic capabilities | |
| - No GPU required | |
| - Fast inference with native bindings | |
| - [Github repository](https://github.com/mudler/LocalAI) | |
| 2. **[LocalAGI](https://github.com/mudler/LocalAGI)** | |
| - Autonomous AI agents | |
| - No coding required | |
| - WebUI and REST API support | |
| - Extensible agent framework | |
| - [Github repository](https://github.com/mudler/LocalAGI) | |
| 3. **[LocalRecall](https://github.com/mudler/LocalRecall)** | |
| - Semantic search | |
| - Memory management | |
| - Vector database | |
| - Perfect for AI applications | |
| - [Github repository](https://github.com/mudler/LocalRecall) | |
| ## Getting Started | |
| LocalAI can be installed in several ways. **Docker is the recommended installation method** for most users as it provides the easiest setup and works across all platforms. | |
| ### Recommended: Docker Installation | |
| The quickest way to get started with LocalAI is using Docker: | |
| ```bash | |
| docker run -p 8080:8080 --name local-ai -ti localai/localai:latest | |
| ``` | |
| For complete installation instructions including Docker, macOS, Linux, Kubernetes, and building from source, see the [Installation guide](/installation/). | |
| ## Key Features | |
| - **Text Generation**: Run various LLMs locally | |
| - **Image Generation**: Create images with stable diffusion | |
| - **Audio Processing**: Text-to-speech and speech-to-text | |
| - **Vision API**: Image understanding and analysis | |
| - **Embeddings**: Vector database support | |
| - **Functions**: OpenAI-compatible function calling | |
| - **MCP Support**: Model Context Protocol for agentic capabilities | |
| - **P2P**: Distributed inference capabilities | |
| ## Community and Support | |
| LocalAI is a community-driven project. You can: | |
| - Join our [Discord community](https://discord.gg/uJAeKSAGDy) | |
| - Check out our [GitHub repository](https://github.com/mudler/LocalAI) | |
| - Contribute to the project | |
| - Share your use cases and examples | |
| ## Next Steps | |
| Ready to dive in? Here are some recommended next steps: | |
| 1. **[Install LocalAI](/installation/)** - Start with [Docker installation](/installation/docker/) (recommended) or choose another method | |
| 2. [Explore available models](https://models.localai.io) | |
| 3. [Model compatibility](/model-compatibility/) | |
| 4. [Try out examples](https://github.com/mudler/LocalAI-examples) | |
| 5. [Join the community](https://discord.gg/uJAeKSAGDy) | |
| 6. [Check the LocalAI Github repository](https://github.com/mudler/LocalAI) | |
| 7. [Check the LocalAGI Github repository](https://github.com/mudler/LocalAGI) | |
| ## License | |
| LocalAI is MIT licensed, created and maintained by [Ettore Di Giacinto](https://github.com/mudler). | |