Our Free Model vs Ollama
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A dsh plugin that gives access to hosted AI models without a login or API key.
Open source · MIT
Runs open AI models like Gemma, Qwen and DeepSeek on your own machine or in the cloud.
Our verdict
Our Free Model is a plugin for the DeepSeek Harness agent host that gives you hosted AI models with no sign-up or API key, but it is in beta and only works inside dsh. Ollama is a standalone tool for downloading and running open models on your own machine or cloud, with a local API for your own apps. They solve different problems: one is a quick way to try hosted models inside an existing agent tool, the other is a general local model runner.
Pick Our Free Model if you already use dsh and want to try hosted models without creating accounts or keys, and you accept that it is beta.
Pick Ollama if you want to run open models on your own hardware or build apps that call a model through a local API.
| Key difference | Our Free Model | Ollama |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A free plugin for the dsh agent host that adds hosted models | A standalone tool for downloading and running open models locally |
| Setup | Requires dsh installed first; no login or API key needed | Simple install and run commands on macOS, Windows, Linux and Docker |
| Where models run | Hosted by upstream gateways (OpenCode Zen and Kilo AI) | On your own machine, with optional cloud access |
| Privacy | Kilo free pool may record prompts; avoid sensitive content | Local models keep prompts on your machine; cloud features depend on Ollama's services |
| Stability | Beta status; model lists refresh from upstream and may change | Mature project with a large community and many integrations |
Written with AI from both products' catalogue entries · updated 2026-10-29
Who each one is for
Choose Our Free Model if you need…
- Developers who already use dsh and want to try models without creating accounts or keys
- People who want to compare several hosted models inside one agent tool
- Users who want a local OpenAI-compatible endpoint for other tools on their own machine
- Testers who are comfortable with a beta plugin and can tolerate model availability changing
Choose Ollama if you need…
- Developers who want a local model API for their own apps
- People who want to chat with open models without sending prompts to a hosted service
- Users who want to connect a coding assistant to a local or self-chosen model
- Students experimenting with different open models from a terminal
Side-by-side
| Our Free Model | Ollama | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Dev tool | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 56.6k | 186k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | See the README | Install with a package manager |
| Platforms | — | macOS, Windows, Linux, CLI, API |
| Works with | — | VS Code |
| Main language | JavaScript | Go |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
Our Free Model
This is a plugin for DeepSeek Harness (dsh), an AI agent host. Once installed, it adds free hosted models such as DeepSeek V4.1 Flash and Kimi K3 to dsh's model picker, with no sign-up or API key required. It also includes a local OpenAI-compatible port so other tools on the same machine can call those models. The README says the free models come from the OpenCode Zen and Kilo AI public gateways, and that the plugin is at beta status.
Ollama
Ollama is a tool for downloading and running open-weight AI language models locally, with a simple command line and a REST API. The README says it also offers cloud access and can connect to coding tools and assistants such as Claude Code, Codex and OpenClaw. People use it to try models privately or to build apps that call a model through a local API.
Best for
Our Free Model
- Developers who already use dsh and want to try models without creating accounts or keys
- People who want to compare several hosted models inside one agent tool
- Users who want a local OpenAI-compatible endpoint for other tools on their own machine
- Testers who are comfortable with a beta plugin and can tolerate model availability changing
Ollama
- Developers who want a local model API for their own apps
- People who want to chat with open models without sending prompts to a hosted service
- Users who want to connect a coding assistant to a local or self-chosen model
- Students experimenting with different open models from a terminal
Strengths
Our Free Model
- No login, sign-up, or API key is needed to start, according to the README
- Ships as a plugin without changing the dsh kernel and with no build step, per the README
- Includes a local dashboard and a local OpenAI-compatible endpoint, and the README says usage data stays on the machine
Ollama
- Simple install and run commands across macOS, Windows, Linux and Docker
- Official Python and JavaScript libraries plus a documented REST API
- Large community with many integrations listed in the README
Not ideal for
Our Free Model
- Anyone sending sensitive or confidential code or text: the README says the Kilo free pool may record prompts to improve the service
- People who need stable, guaranteed uptime, since the project is marked beta and model lists refresh from upstream
- Users who do not run dsh, since the plugin only works inside that host
- People who want to install from npm: the README warns that the npm package named dsh-our-free-model is third-party and differs from this repository
Ollama
- People who need the most capable closed frontier models, since this focuses on open models
- Users with limited disk space or memory, because model files can be large and need capable hardware (the README does not give specific requirements)
- Non-technical users who want a polished desktop app with no terminal use, although the README mentions a download option for macOS and Windows
Trade-offs
Our Free Model
- The 'free with no usage cap' claim comes from the project itself and depends on upstream gateways, which can change or restrict access
- Some features, including the EAC channel, require a GitHub login and a star on the repository before conversations are allowed, according to the README
- Prompts sent through the Kilo free pool may be recorded by the upstream provider, so the README advises against sending sensitive content
Ollama
- The README is truncated and does not state hardware requirements or model sizes
- Some features, such as cloud access and specific integrations, depend on Ollama's own services and documentation that is only partly described here
- Model quality and licensing depend on each individual model, not on Ollama itself
Getting started
Our Free Model
Install the plugin into a dsh web profile from a local source directory
dsh plugin --profile web add /绝对路径/dsh-our-free-modelOllama
macOS and Linux install
curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | shWindows install (PowerShell)
irm https://ollama.com/install.ps1 | iexFrequently asked questions
Should I use Our Free Model or Ollama?
Our Free Model is a plugin for the DeepSeek Harness agent host that gives you hosted AI models with no sign-up or API key, but it is in beta and only works inside dsh. Ollama is a standalone tool for downloading and running open models on your own machine or cloud, with a local API for your own apps. They solve different problems: one is a quick way to try hosted models inside an existing agent tool, the other is a general local model runner. Pick Our Free Model if you already use dsh and want to try hosted models without creating accounts or keys, and you accept that it is beta. Pick Ollama if you want to run open models on your own hardware or build apps that call a model through a local API.
What is the difference between Our Free Model and Ollama?
Our Free Model: A dsh plugin that gives access to hosted AI models without a login or API key. Ollama: Runs open AI models like Gemma, Qwen and DeepSeek on your own machine or in the cloud. Our Free Model suits developers who already use dsh and want to try models without creating accounts or keys, while Ollama suits developers who want a local model api for their own apps.
Are Our Free Model and Ollama free?
Our Free Model: Free and open source. Ollama: Free and open source.
Is Our Free Model or Ollama more popular?
Ollama has more GitHub stars (186k) than Our Free Model (56.6k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Our Free Model and Ollama?
Other options people compare them with include DeepSeek, ECC, Trail-code, 9Router, Agentic Awesome Skills.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.