{ "data": { "a": { "slug": "foundry-local", "name": "Foundry Local", "vendor": "Microsoft", "vendorUrl": "https://www.foundrylocal.ai", "kind": "sdk", "category": "local-ai", "summary": "Microsoft's on-device model runtime, built on ONNX Runtime. Applications embed it through SDKs for C#, JavaScript, Python and Rust, and it can start an optional OpenAI-compatible server on localhost. A preview CLI is also available.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/foundry-local", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/foundry-local.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/foundry-local.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/foundry-local.json", "repo": "https://github.com/microsoft/Foundry-Local", "license": "MIT for the SDKs and the v2 native runtime. The CLI is closed source under Microsoft Software Licence Terms. Execution providers carry NVIDIA, Intel and Qualcomm licences, and each model carries its own", "transports": [ "http" ], "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "foundry-local-sdk" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "foundry-local-sdk" }, { "registry": "nuget", "name": "Microsoft.AI.Foundry.Local" }, { "registry": "cargo", "name": "foundry-local-sdk" } ], "auth": "none", "authNotes": "No authentication. The SDK runs in the application's own process, and the optional local server takes no key or token. It binds to 127.0.0.1 on a dynamic port unless the owner configures `web.urls` or starts the CLI daemon with `--port`. No account or Azure subscription is needed.", "pricing": "free", "pricingNotes": "Free, with no account, card or Azure subscription. The SDK is MIT and the CLI is a free download under Microsoft's licence terms. Microsoft states there are no per-token costs. Foundry Local on Azure Local is a separate product for servers and is not covered here (checked 2026-10-08).", "priceSummary": "Free · OSS", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs, the README or the SDK source (checked 2026-10-08).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 2600, "npmWeekly": 105372, "pypiWeekly": 47344, "asOf": "2026-10-08" }, "docsUrl": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/foundry-local/", "capabilities": [ "inference.local", "inference.open-weights", "embed.text", "speech.stt" ], "tags": [ "local", "open-source", "free", "no-card", "account-free", "no-auth", "openai-compatible", "csharp", "typescript", "python", "rust", "npu", "telemetry-on-by-default" ], "lastRelease": "2026-09-29", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 60.5, "grade": "C", "agentReady": false, "rank": 461, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 842, "categoryRank": 4, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 61, "maintenance": 88, "payments": 60, "reliability": 68, "schema": 53, "security": 39, "transparency": 72 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-08" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "The SDK and its native runtime are MIT, at 2.1.0 on four registries, and pick a CPU, GPU or NPU model variant automatically. The optional local server has no credential, its current routes aren't in the published REST reference, and telemetry is on by default with an opt-out.", "bestFor": "An application that ships a model to end users' Windows, macOS or Linux devices and wants NPU and GPU variants chosen automatically, especially on Windows.", "strengths": [ "SDK 2.1.0 published on npm, PyPI, NuGet and crates.io on 29 September 2026, with the SDK and the v2 native runtime under MIT in a public repository", "A model alias selects the best variant for the machine's CPU, GPU or NPU, with CUDA, WebGPU, OpenVINO, QNN and Vitis AI execution providers", "The v2 server answers `/v1/chat/completions`, `/v1/responses`, `/v1/embeddings`, `/v1/audio/transcriptions` and `/v1/models` in OpenAI's shapes", "Six releases in the 90 days to 8 October 2026, and the v2.0.1 notes carry a breaking-changes section", "No account, key, card or Azure subscription is needed, and prompts and outputs are processed on the device per the docs" ], "weaknesses": [ "The local server takes no credential, and its routes include model load and unload and `POST /shutdown`", "The REST reference on Microsoft Learn lists `/openai/*` and `/foundry/list` routes that the v2 runtime source doesn't register, and doesn't cover `/v1/responses`", "Telemetry is on by default through Microsoft's 1DS SDK. The opt-out covers non-essential telemetry only, and the Learn FAQ doesn't mention it", "The CLI is a closed-source public preview, and its REST reference warns of breaking changes without notice", "76 open issues on 8 October 2026, among them a Linux ARM64 segmentation fault (#1182) and several unanswered GPU and NPU detection reports" ], "agentNotes": [ "Read the server URL from `manager.urls[0]` or `foundry server status`. The port is dynamic unless the owner sets `web.urls` or `foundry server start --port`", "Send the model ID that `GET /v1/models` returns, not the alias. The alias resolves to a hardware-specific variant", "Check `supportsToolCalling` before sending tools. Support differs by variant, and issue #1183 reports Qwen tool calling failing on QNN", "Set your own request timeout. Inference has no built-in one, and cancellation takes effect only after the current generation step", "Ask the owner to set `ORT_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=1` or `disableNonessentialTelemetry` before the manager is created if telemetry must be off" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "C", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 60.5 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 61, "maintenance": 88, "payments": 60, "reliability": 68, "schema": 53, "security": 39, "transparency": 63 }, "provenanceScore": 80 }, "connect": { "install": "pip install foundry-local-sdk # or: npm install foundry-local-sdk\n# CLI (preview): winget install Microsoft.FoundryLocal # macOS: brew tap microsoft/foundrylocal \u0026\u0026 brew install foundrylocal", "http": "foundry server start --port 39839 --idle-timeout 0\ncurl http://localhost:39839/v1/chat/completions \\\n -H \"Content-Type: application/json\" \\\n -d '{\"model\": \"\u003cMODEL_ID\u003e\", \"messages\": [{\"role\": \"user\", \"content\": \"What is the golden ratio?\"}]}'" }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/inference.local", "tool": "https://letme.dev/foundry-local" }, "sameCompany": [ "azure-foundry-fine-tuning", "azure-ai-content-safety", "azure-speech-to-text", "azure-text-to-speech", "microsoft-agent-framework", "microsoft-execution-containers", "microsoft-entra-agent-id", "azure-key-vault", "azure-document-intelligence", "azure-devops-mcp", "microsoft-learn-mcp", "playwright-mcp", "azure-mcp", "azure-maps", "azure-translator", "microsoft-graph-calendar", "azure-blob-storage", "onedrive-sharepoint", "microsoft-teams", "dynamics-365-sales", "power-automate", "microsoft-advertising-api", "microsoft-excel-graph", "outlook-mail-graph" ], "area": "models", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Microsoft Corporation", "domain": "microsoft.com", "domainRegistered": "1991-05-02", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "", "privacy": "", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://github.com/microsoft/Foundry-Local/releases", "securityTxt": "expired", "checked": "2026-10-08", "notes": [ "The repository is under GitHub's microsoft organisation, the licence file reads Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation, and foundrylocal.ai names Microsoft Corporation as publisher.", "The terms link is the repository's LICENSE file, which holds the MIT licence for the SDK and the Microsoft Software Licence Terms for the CLI. Microsoft publishes no other agreement for Foundry Local that we found.", "The privacy link is the product's own privacy file in the repository, which the README links. It and the CLI licence both refer on to the Microsoft Privacy Statement, a company-wide notice, which answered 403 to our request.", "www.microsoft.com/.well-known/security.txt loads and points to the MSRC researcher portal, but its Expires field is 2026-09-23T16:00:00.000Z, which had passed on 8 October 2026. learn.microsoft.com and foundrylocal.ai return 404.", "No status page is listed because the software runs on the owner's machine. The model catalogue is a cloud service with no status page that we found.", "RDAP gives microsoft.com a registration date of 1991-05-02 and foundrylocal.ai one of 2025-10-07." ], "score": 80 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/foundry-local.json" }, "answer": "Foundry Local and KoboldCpp score within a point of each other on agent readiness, 60.5 (C) and 60.5 (C). KoboldCpp leads on schema \u0026 documentation.", "b": { "slug": "koboldcpp", "name": "KoboldCpp", "vendor": "LostRuins (Concedo)", "vendorUrl": "https://koboldcpp.net", "kind": "http-api", "category": "local-ai", "summary": "Open-source program for running GGUF models on the owner's own computer, built on llama.cpp. One executable serves a web interface and KoboldAI, OpenAI, Ollama and Anthropic compatible APIs on port 5001.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/koboldcpp", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/koboldcpp.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/koboldcpp.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/koboldcpp.json", "repo": "https://github.com/LostRuins/koboldcpp", "license": "AGPL-3.0 for KoboldCpp and KoboldAI Lite. The bundled GGML, llama.cpp and stable-diffusion.cpp code stays under MIT", "transports": [ "http" ], "packages": [ { "registry": "oci", "name": "koboldai/koboldcpp" } ], "auth": "none", "authNotes": "No credential by default. `--password` (or the `KCPP_PASSWORD` environment variable) sets one shared key, sent as `Authorization: Bearer`, and the server reads it from the header only. The key guards text routes. Image generation, upscaling, `/sdapi/v1/interrogate` and `/tts_to_audio` skip the check, and the `--help` text says image endpoints are not secured. Admin routes need `--admin`, an `--admindir` and, when set, a separate `--adminpassword`. Keys have no scopes and change only with a restart. With no `--host` the server listens on all routable interfaces, and CORS reflects any Origin with credentials allowed (https://github.com/LostRuins/koboldcpp/blob/concedo/koboldcpp.py).", "pricing": "free", "pricingNotes": "Free under AGPL-3.0, with no account, key or card. Nothing is sold by the project. The owner pays for hardware and electricity, and the README links third-party GPU rental (RunPod, SimplePod) and Google Colab as other places to run it.", "priceSummary": "Free · OSS", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the README, the wiki, the API document or `koboldcpp.py` (checked 2026-10-08).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 11972, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-08" }, "docsUrl": "https://github.com/LostRuins/koboldcpp/wiki", "llmsTxt": "https://koboldcpp.net/llms.txt", "openapi": "https://lite.koboldai.net/koboldcpp_api.json", "capabilities": [ "inference.local", "inference.open-weights", "agent.mcp-client", "embed.text", "image.generate", "speech.stt", "speech.tts", "audio.music" ], "tags": [ "open-source", "local", "self-hosted", "free", "no-card", "openai-compatible", "openapi", "llms-txt", "docker", "agpl", "no-telemetry" ], "lastRelease": "2026-09-27", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 60.5, "grade": "C", "agentReady": false, "rank": 462, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 842, "categoryRank": 5, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 63, "maintenance": 82, "payments": 60, "reliability": 68, "schema": 68, "security": 38, "transparency": 49 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-08" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "One file runs text, image, speech and music models behind a published OpenAPI 3.0.3 document, with eight releases in 90 days. The server listens on every interface with no password by default, and `--password` leaves the image routes open.", "bestFor": "An owner who wants text, image, speech and music models behind one executable with a writing and roleplay interface, and clients that speak the KoboldAI, OpenAI, Ollama or Anthropic formats.", "strengths": [ "OpenAPI 3.0.3 document with 54 operations, served by the program at `/api?json=1` and published at lite.koboldai.net", "KoboldAI, OpenAI, Ollama, Anthropic, AUTOMATIC1111 and ComfyUI style routes from one server on port 5001", "Eight releases between 10 July and 27 September 2026, each with written notes, and replies on all 24 of the newest open issues", "AGPL-3.0, with no telemetry or update check found in `koboldcpp.py` and a wiki statement that inputs are sent nowhere", "Admin functions are off by default and take their own `--adminpassword`" ], "weaknesses": [ "With no `--host` the server accepts connections on all routable interfaces, and no password is set by default", "`--password` covers text routes only. The `--help` text says image endpoints are not secured", "CORS reflects any Origin with credentials allowed and permits private-network requests", "No `SECURITY.md` or security.txt, and the one advisory (GHSA-qhvp-gj7g-rw26) still lists no patched version", "No continuous test run on pushes. Build workflows are started by hand and the only automatic test covers `AutoGuess.json`" ], "agentNotes": [ "Start with `--host 127.0.0.1` and `--password`. The default listens on every interface with no key", "Send the password as `Authorization: Bearer \u003cpassword\u003e`. It is not read from the query string", "Treat 503 as both busy and rate limited. The server never sends 429 or `Retry-After`, and the wait in seconds is in `detail.msg`", "Pass `max_length` or `max_tokens`. The default is 2,048 tokens unless `--defaultgenamt` changes it", "Send a `genkey` with each generation so `/api/extra/generate/check` and `/api/extra/abort` act on your request and not another caller's" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "C", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 60.5 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 63, "maintenance": 82, "payments": 60, "reliability": 68, "schema": 68, "security": 38, "transparency": 70 }, "provenanceScore": 27 }, "connect": { "install": "curl -fLo koboldcpp-linux-x64 https://github.com/LostRuins/koboldcpp/releases/latest/download/koboldcpp-linux-x64 \u0026\u0026 chmod +x koboldcpp-linux-x64 \u0026\u0026 ./koboldcpp-linux-x64\n./koboldcpp-linux-x64 --model /path/to/model.gguf # listens on port 5001", "http": "curl --request POST \\\n --url http://localhost:5001/api/v1/generate \\\n --header \"Content-Type: application/json\" \\\n --data '{\"prompt\": \"Niko the kobold stalked carefully down the alley,\", \"max_context_length\": 2048, \"max_length\": 100}'" }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/inference.local", "tool": "https://letme.dev/koboldcpp" }, "area": "models", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "", "domain": "koboldcpp.net", "domainRegistered": "2026-03-18", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "", "privacy": "", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://github.com/LostRuins/koboldcpp/releases", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-08", "notes": [ "No legal entity is named in the repository, the wiki or koboldcpp.net. The maintainer publishes as LostRuins on GitHub and Concedo on Discord, and the Windows binary's version resource gives KoboldAI as the company name.", "The project publishes no terms of service and no privacy policy, so both fields are empty. The licence is AGPL-3.0 and the only privacy statement is an FAQ entry in the wiki.", "The README calls koboldcpp.net the official community website. RDAP gives its registration date as 2026-03-18 and Cloudflare, Inc. as registrar. The README warns that koboldcpp.com is a fake site.", "koboldcpp.net/.well-known/security.txt and koboldai.org/.well-known/security.txt return 404. koboldcpp.net/llms.txt returns a short index that links llms-small.txt and llms-full.txt.", "There's no shared hosted endpoint. The server runs on the owner's machine. The online API reference is on lite.koboldai.net." ], "score": 27 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/koboldcpp.json" }, "facts": [ { "a": "SDK + MCP", "b": "HTTP API", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "Microsoft", "b": "LostRuins (Concedo)", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "no (local only)", "b": "no (local only)", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "HTTP", "b": "HTTP", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "None", "b": "None", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Free", "b": "Free", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "MIT for the SDKs and the v2 native runtime. The CLI is closed source under Microsoft Software Licence Terms. Execution providers carry NVIDIA, Intel and Qualcomm licences, and each model carries its own", "b": "AGPL-3.0 for KoboldCpp and KoboldAI Lite. The bundled GGML, llama.cpp and stable-diffusion.cpp code stays under MIT", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "no", "b": "yes", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "2026-09-29", "b": "2026-09-27", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "no document linked", "b": "no document linked", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "no document linked", "b": "no document linked", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "2.6k stars, 105k npm/wk, 47k PyPI/wk", "b": "12k stars", "name": "Popularity" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "Foundry Local and KoboldCpp score within a point of each other on agent readiness, 60.5 (C) and 60.5 (C). KoboldCpp leads on schema \u0026 documentation.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Foundry Local or KoboldCpp?" }, { "answer": "No hosted endpoint is listed for Foundry Local. No hosted endpoint is listed for KoboldCpp.", "question": "Can an agent call Foundry Local and KoboldCpp without installing anything?" }, { "answer": "Yes. Foundry Local is open source (MIT for the SDKs and the v2 native runtime. The CLI is closed source under Microsoft Software Licence Terms. Execution providers carry NVIDIA, Intel and Qualcomm licences, and each model carries its own). KoboldCpp is open source (AGPL-3.0 for KoboldCpp and KoboldAI Lite. The bundled GGML, llama.cpp and stable-diffusion.cpp code stays under MIT).", "question": "Are Foundry Local and KoboldCpp open source?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Maintenance \u0026 community, 88 against 82", "Transparency \u0026 trust, 72 against 49" ], "also": null, "goodFor": "An application that ships a model to end users' Windows, macOS or Linux devices and wants NPU and GPU variants chosen automatically, especially on Windows.", "slug": "foundry-local", "watchFor": "The local server takes no credential, and its routes include model load and unload and `POST /shutdown`" }, { "aheadOn": [ "Schema \u0026 documentation, 68 against 53" ], "also": null, "goodFor": "An owner who wants text, image, speech and music models behind one executable with a writing and roleplay interface, and clients that speak the KoboldAI, OpenAI, Ollama or Anthropic formats.", "slug": "koboldcpp", "watchFor": "With no `--host` the server accepts connections on all routable interfaces, and no password is set by default" } ], "job": { "capability": "inference.local", "name": "Local inference" }, "others": [ { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/anythingllm-vs-foundry-local.json", "title": "AnythingLLM vs Foundry Local", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/anythingllm-vs-foundry-local" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/anythingllm-vs-koboldcpp.json", "title": "AnythingLLM vs KoboldCpp", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/anythingllm-vs-koboldcpp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-foundry-local.json", "title": "Docker Model Runner vs Foundry Local", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-foundry-local" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-koboldcpp.json", "title": "Docker Model Runner vs KoboldCpp", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-koboldcpp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-ghost-core.json", "title": "Foundry Local vs Core", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-ghost-core" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-gpt4all.json", "title": "Foundry Local vs GPT4All", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-gpt4all" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-jan.json", "title": "Foundry Local vs Jan", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-jan" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-khoj.json", "title": "Foundry Local vs Khoj", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-khoj" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-lemonade.json", "title": "Foundry Local vs Lemonade", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-lemonade" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-llama-cpp.json", "title": "Foundry Local vs llama.cpp", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-llama-cpp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-lm-studio.json", "title": "Foundry Local vs LM Studio", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-lm-studio" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-localai.json", "title": "Foundry Local vs LocalAI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-localai" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-mlx-lm.json", "title": "Foundry Local vs MLX LM", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-mlx-lm" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-ollama.json", "title": "Foundry Local vs Ollama", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-ollama" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-open-webui.json", "title": "Foundry Local vs Open WebUI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-open-webui" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-screenpipe.json", "title": "Foundry Local vs screenpipe", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-screenpipe" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-text-generation-webui.json", "title": "Foundry Local vs TextGen", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-text-generation-webui" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ghost-core-vs-koboldcpp.json", "title": "Core vs KoboldCpp", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ghost-core-vs-koboldcpp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gpt4all-vs-koboldcpp.json", "title": "GPT4All vs KoboldCpp", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gpt4all-vs-koboldcpp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-koboldcpp.json", "title": "Jan vs KoboldCpp", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-koboldcpp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/khoj-vs-koboldcpp.json", "title": "Khoj vs KoboldCpp", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/khoj-vs-koboldcpp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-lemonade.json", "title": "KoboldCpp vs Lemonade", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-lemonade" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-llama-cpp.json", "title": "KoboldCpp vs llama.cpp", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-llama-cpp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-lm-studio.json", "title": "KoboldCpp vs LM Studio", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-lm-studio" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-localai.json", "title": "KoboldCpp vs LocalAI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-localai" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-mlx-lm.json", "title": "KoboldCpp vs MLX LM", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-mlx-lm" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-ollama.json", "title": "KoboldCpp vs Ollama", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-ollama" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-open-webui.json", "title": "KoboldCpp vs Open WebUI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-open-webui" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-screenpipe.json", "title": "KoboldCpp vs screenpipe", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-screenpipe" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-text-generation-webui.json", "title": "KoboldCpp vs TextGen", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-text-generation-webui" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-underdog.json", "title": "Foundry Local vs Underdog", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-underdog" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-underdog.json", "title": "KoboldCpp vs Underdog", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-underdog" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 0, "edge": "", "foundry-local": 68, "key": "reliability", "koboldcpp": 68, "name": "Reliability", "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 15, "edge": "koboldcpp", "foundry-local": 53, "key": "schema", "koboldcpp": 68, "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "weight": 13 }, { "by": 2, "edge": "koboldcpp", "foundry-local": 61, "key": "ergonomics", "koboldcpp": 63, "name": "Agent ergonomics", "weight": 13 }, { "by": 1, "edge": "foundry-local", "foundry-local": 39, "key": "security", "koboldcpp": 38, "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "weight": 14 }, { "by": 0, "edge": "", "foundry-local": 60, "key": "payments", "koboldcpp": 60, "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 6, "edge": "foundry-local", "foundry-local": 88, "key": "maintenance", "koboldcpp": 82, "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "weight": 7 }, { "by": 23, "edge": "foundry-local", "foundry-local": 72, "key": "transparency", "koboldcpp": 49, "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "Foundry Local and KoboldCpp score within a point of each other on agent readiness, 60.5 (C) and 60.5 (C). KoboldCpp leads on schema \u0026 documentation. Both do local inference.", "verdicts": { "foundry-local": "The SDK and its native runtime are MIT, at 2.1.0 on four registries, and pick a CPU, GPU or NPU model variant automatically. The optional local server has no credential, its current routes aren't in the published REST reference, and telemetry is on by default with an opt-out.", "koboldcpp": "One file runs text, image, speech and music models behind a published OpenAPI 3.0.3 document, with eight releases in 90 days. The server listens on every interface with no password by default, and `--password` leaves the image routes open." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-koboldcpp", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-koboldcpp.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-koboldcpp.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-koboldcpp.min.md" }, "markdown": "Foundry Local and KoboldCpp score within a point of each other on agent readiness, 60.5 (C) and 60.5 (C). KoboldCpp leads on schema \u0026 documentation. Both do local inference.\n\n- Foundry Local: grade C, 60.5/100, rank #461 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/foundry-local.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/foundry-local.json\n- KoboldCpp: grade C, 60.5/100, rank #462 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/koboldcpp.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/koboldcpp.json\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### Foundry Local (C)\n\nGood for: An application that ships a model to end users' Windows, macOS or Linux devices and wants NPU and GPU variants chosen automatically, especially on Windows.\n\nAhead on:\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 88 against 82\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 72 against 49\n\nWatch for: The local server takes no credential, and its routes include model load and unload and `POST /shutdown`\n\n### KoboldCpp (C)\n\nGood for: An owner who wants text, image, speech and music models behind one executable with a writing and roleplay interface, and clients that speak the KoboldAI, OpenAI, Ollama or Anthropic formats.\n\nAhead on:\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 68 against 53\n\nWatch for: With no `--host` the server accepts connections on all routable interfaces, and no password is set by default\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Foundry Local | KoboldCpp | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 68 | 68 | even |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 53 | 68 | KoboldCpp +15 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 61 | 63 | KoboldCpp +2 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 39 | 38 | Foundry Local +1 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 60 | 60 | even |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 88 | 82 | Foundry Local +6 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 72 | 49 | Foundry Local +23 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |\n| **Total** | | **60.5 · C** | **60.5 · C** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Foundry Local | KoboldCpp |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | SDK + MCP | HTTP API |\n| Vendor | Microsoft | LostRuins (Concedo) |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |\n| Transports | HTTP | HTTP |\n| Auth | None | None |\n| Pricing | Free | Free |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | MIT for the SDKs and the v2 native runtime. The CLI is closed source under Microsoft Software Licence Terms. Execution providers carry NVIDIA, Intel and Qualcomm licences, and each model carries its own | AGPL-3.0 for KoboldCpp and KoboldAI Lite. The bundled GGML, llama.cpp and stable-diffusion.cpp code stays under MIT |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | no | yes |\n| Last release | 2026-09-29 | 2026-09-27 |\n| Terms last updated | no document linked | no document linked |\n| Privacy policy last updated | no document linked | no document linked |\n| Customer content may train models | | |\n| Terms restrict automated access | | |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | | |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | | |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | | |\n| Popularity | 2.6k stars, 105k npm/wk, 47k PyPI/wk | 12k stars |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**Foundry Local.** The SDK and its native runtime are MIT, at 2.1.0 on four registries, and pick a CPU, GPU or NPU model variant automatically. The optional local server has no credential, its current routes aren't in the published REST reference, and telemetry is on by default with an opt-out.\n\n**KoboldCpp.** One file runs text, image, speech and music models behind a published OpenAPI 3.0.3 document, with eight releases in 90 days. The server listens on every interface with no password by default, and `--password` leaves the image routes open.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### Foundry Local\n\n1. Read the server URL from `manager.urls[0]` or `foundry server status`. The port is dynamic unless the owner sets `web.urls` or `foundry server start --port`\n2. Send the model ID that `GET /v1/models` returns, not the alias. The alias resolves to a hardware-specific variant\n3. Check `supportsToolCalling` before sending tools. Support differs by variant, and issue #1183 reports Qwen tool calling failing on QNN\n4. Set your own request timeout. Inference has no built-in one, and cancellation takes effect only after the current generation step\n5. Ask the owner to set `ORT_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=1` or `disableNonessentialTelemetry` before the manager is created if telemetry must be off\n\n### KoboldCpp\n\n1. Start with `--host 127.0.0.1` and `--password`. The default listens on every interface with no key\n2. Send the password as `Authorization: Bearer \u003cpassword\u003e`. It is not read from the query string\n3. Treat 503 as both busy and rate limited. The server never sends 429 or `Retry-After`, and the wait in seconds is in `detail.msg`\n4. Pass `max_length` or `max_tokens`. The default is 2,048 tokens unless `--defaultgenamt` changes it\n5. Send a `genkey` with each generation so `/api/extra/generate/check` and `/api/extra/abort` act on your request and not another caller's\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Foundry Local or KoboldCpp?\n\nFoundry Local and KoboldCpp score within a point of each other on agent readiness, 60.5 (C) and 60.5 (C). KoboldCpp leads on schema \u0026 documentation.\n\n### Can an agent call Foundry Local and KoboldCpp without installing anything?\n\nNo hosted endpoint is listed for Foundry Local. No hosted endpoint is listed for KoboldCpp.\n\n### Are Foundry Local and KoboldCpp open source?\n\nYes. Foundry Local is open source (MIT for the SDKs and the v2 native runtime. The CLI is closed source under Microsoft Software Licence Terms. Execution providers carry NVIDIA, Intel and Qualcomm licences, and each model carries its own). KoboldCpp is open source (AGPL-3.0 for KoboldCpp and KoboldAI Lite. The bundled GGML, llama.cpp and stable-diffusion.cpp code stays under MIT).\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-koboldcpp.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-koboldcpp.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"foundry-local\", \"b\": \"koboldcpp\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare foundry-local koboldcpp`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/foundry-local.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/koboldcpp.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Foundry Local or KoboldCpp\n\n- [AnythingLLM vs Foundry Local](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/anythingllm-vs-foundry-local.md)\n- [AnythingLLM vs KoboldCpp](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/anythingllm-vs-koboldcpp.md)\n- [Docker Model Runner vs Foundry Local](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-foundry-local.md)\n- [Docker Model Runner vs KoboldCpp](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-koboldcpp.md)\n- [Foundry Local vs Core](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-ghost-core.md)\n- [Foundry Local vs GPT4All](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-gpt4all.md)\n- [Foundry Local vs Jan](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-jan.md)\n- [Foundry Local vs Khoj](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-khoj.md)\n- [Foundry Local vs Lemonade](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-lemonade.md)\n- [Foundry Local vs llama.cpp](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-llama-cpp.md)\n- [Foundry Local vs LM Studio](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-lm-studio.md)\n- [Foundry Local vs LocalAI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-localai.md)\n- [Foundry Local vs MLX LM](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-mlx-lm.md)\n- [Foundry Local vs Ollama](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-ollama.md)\n- [Foundry Local vs Open WebUI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-open-webui.md)\n- [Foundry Local vs screenpipe](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-screenpipe.md)\n- [Foundry Local vs TextGen](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-text-generation-webui.md)\n- [Core vs KoboldCpp](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ghost-core-vs-koboldcpp.md)\n- [GPT4All vs KoboldCpp](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gpt4all-vs-koboldcpp.md)\n- [Jan vs KoboldCpp](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-koboldcpp.md)\n- [Khoj vs KoboldCpp](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/khoj-vs-koboldcpp.md)\n- [KoboldCpp vs Lemonade](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-lemonade.md)\n- [KoboldCpp vs llama.cpp](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-llama-cpp.md)\n- [KoboldCpp vs LM Studio](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-lm-studio.md)\n- [KoboldCpp vs LocalAI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-localai.md)\n- [KoboldCpp vs MLX LM](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-mlx-lm.md)\n- [KoboldCpp vs Ollama](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-ollama.md)\n- [KoboldCpp vs Open WebUI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-open-webui.md)\n- [KoboldCpp vs screenpipe](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-screenpipe.md)\n- [KoboldCpp vs TextGen](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-text-generation-webui.md)\n- [Foundry Local vs Underdog](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-underdog.md)\n- [KoboldCpp vs Underdog](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-underdog.md)\n", "meta": { "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)", "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/", "generatedAt": "2026-10-09", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "method": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/", "methodology": "0.4", "openapi": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/openapi.json", "preview": false, "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run" }, "page": { "breadcrumbs": [ { "name": "Home", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/" }, { "name": "Compare", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/" }, { "name": "Foundry Local vs KoboldCpp", "url": "" } ], "description": "Foundry Local and KoboldCpp score within a point of each other on agent readiness, 60.5 (C) and 60.5 (C). KoboldCpp leads on schema \u0026 documentation. Both do local inference. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "Foundry Local C 60.5", "KoboldCpp C 60.5", "scores" ], "h1": "Foundry Local vs KoboldCpp", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-foundry-local-vs-koboldcpp.png", "path": "/compare/foundry-local-vs-koboldcpp", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "Foundry Local vs KoboldCpp for AI agents, C 60.5 vs C 60.5", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-09", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-koboldcpp" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2600, "slim": 580 }, "version": 1 }