LibreAI / Local LLM / shimmy
// local-llm · Michael-A-Kuykendall/shimmy

shimmy

⚡ Pure-Rust WebGPU inference engine — OpenAI-API compatible, GGUF native, runs on any GPU. No Python. No llama.cpp. Single binary.

★ 5.9k stars⑂ 575 forksApache-2.0updated 2026-08
▦ visual — this project's README ships no embeddable screenshot,
so here's a placeholder. The guide below is complete regardless.
// project facts

Project facts

shimmy is an open-source local llm project by Michael-A-Kuykendall (Michael-A-Kuykendall/shimmy on GitHub). It has 5,914 GitHub stars and 575 forks, is released under the Apache-2.0 license, and was last updated on GitHub on 30 August 2026.

GitHub stars
5,914
Forks
575
License
Apache-2.0
Last updated on GitHub
30 August 2026
Category
Local LLM
Listing
Full install guide
Official site
GitHub repo
// how it works

How it works

  1. Install the runtime

    One binary or app gets you a working local model setup.

  2. Download a model

    Pick a size that fits your RAM/VRAM; smaller models run on laptops.

  3. Chat or integrate

    Use the built-in UI, or point OpenAI-compatible clients at it.

  4. Go private

    Airplane mode works — your prompts never leave the device.

// features

Why people love it

Offline capable

Works on planes, in basements, behind firewalls.

Model choice

Swap between hundreds of open models freely.

OpenAI-compatible APIs

Existing tools plug in by changing one URL.

Document chat

Ask questions over your PDFs, notes, and codebases.

No subscriptions

Pay nothing per token, ever.

100% private

Prompts and documents stay on your hardware, always.

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// run it

Run it yourself

  1. Step 1 — Clone the repo

    Download the source and move into the project folder.

    git clone https://github.com/Michael-A-Kuykendall/shimmy.git
    cd shimmy
  2. Step 2 — Check the README

    Every project documents its own setup; start with install requirements.

    cat README.md | head -60
  3. Step 3 — Run it

    Follow the project's launch command — Docker, pip, npm, or a binary release.

    # see README for the exact launch command
// use cases

What you can build

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// faq

Questions, answered

Who maintains shimmy?

It is an open-source project at Michael-A-Kuykendall/shimmy with 575 forks. Check the repo's contributors and recent commits to see how active maintenance is.

Is shimmy free for commercial use?

Apache 2.0 licensed — commercial use allowed with attribution.

Which model should I start with?

A recent 8–32B instruct model is the sweet spot for most machines.

Is it really private?

Yes — with no network calls, there's nothing to leak.

Are local models as good as GPT-4?

Close on many tasks now; frontier cloud models still lead on hard reasoning.

// keep exploring

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// alternatives

Alternatives in Local LLM

The most-starred other Local LLM projects in the LibreAI catalogue — the realistic shortlist if shimmy is not the right fit.

Get shimmy

Free and open — grab the source, star the repo, and start creating.