Single Machine Design
Ollama is designed for single-machine use. If you have a gaming PC, Mac, and server, they can't work together.
Comparison • Multi-Machine vs Single Machinerbee vs Ollama:
rbee vs Ollama:
Multi-Machine vs Single Machine
Both make local LLM inference easy. The key difference: Ollama is designed for single-machine use, rbee orchestrates across multiple machines. Choose based on your hardware setup.
- Multi-machine orchestration
- Heterogeneous hardware
- No single point of failure
The Challenge
Single-Machine Limitations
When you have multiple machines with GPUs, single-machine tools can only use one at a time.
Feature Comparison
rbee vs Ollama: Side-by-Side
See how rbee and Ollama compare across key features.
✓Supported✗Not supported~Partial supportBoth tools are excellent for local LLM inference. Choose rbee if you have multiple machines with GPUs, Ollama if you have a single powerful machine.
| Feature | rbee | Ollama |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-machine support | ||
| Heterogeneous hardware (NVIDIA + Apple + AMD) | Partial | |
| SSH-based deployment | ||
| OpenAI-compatible API | ||
| User-scriptable routing (Rhai) | ||
| Automatic load balancing | ||
| No single point of failure | ||
| GDPR compliance features | ||
| Setup time | 5 minutes | 2 minutes |
| Model marketplace | ||
| License | GPL-3.0 + MIT | MIT |
| Best for | Multi-GPU setups, homelabs, enterprises | Single machine, quick demos |
Setup Comparison
Ollama vs rbee Setup
See the difference in multi-machine orchestration.
Ollama (Single Machine)
Limited to one machine at a time
XInstall on ONE machine only
XGaming PC GPUs sit idle
XMac Studio GPUs sit idle
XServer GPUs sit idle
XNo redundancy - single point of failure
rbee (Multi-Machine)
Orchestrates across ALL your machines
CheckUse ALL machines together
CheckGaming PC + Mac + Server working as one
CheckAutomatic load balancing
CheckBuilt-in redundancy
CheckMix NVIDIA, Apple Silicon, AMD
| Metric | Before rbee | After rbee |
|---|---|---|
| GPU Utilization | Low | High |
| Machines Used | 1 | All |
| Setup Time | ~2 min | ~5 min |
The Solution
rbee: Multi-Machine Orchestration
Orchestrate across all your machines with heterogeneous hardware support.
When to Choose
Which One is Right for You?
Choose based on your hardware and needs.
FAQ
Common Questions
Everything you need to know about rbee vs Ollama.
General
Migration
Technical
Ready for Multi-Machine Orchestration?
See how rbee handles multi-machine GPU orchestration with SSH-based deployment.