The Birth of OllamaZone

Look, I got tired of seeing people locked out of AI experimentation just because they couldn't afford fancy GPUs or expensive API credits. It bugged me that something as revolutionary as these language models was becoming another playground just for those with deep pockets.

OllamaZone started as my weekend project. I wanted to create a simple way for anyone to find and use public Ollama servers. No barriers, no costs, no technical hoops to jump through. Just a straightforward way to connect to these powerful models.

The first version was honestly pretty ugly just a basic list with IP addresses and model names. But people started using it! A student emailed saying she was finally able to complete her thesis project using the servers she found through the site. A developer in Lithuania told me he was prototyping his startup idea using llama3.3 through OllamaZone.

That's when I knew I had to make it better. Now you can filter models, see all the technical specs, and even start chatting directly from the site. I'm constantly surprised by the servers we're finding everything from tiny models perfect for running on basic hardware to massive models that would cost a fortune to run yourself.

I'm not gonna lie maintaining this isn't always easy. Sometimes servers disappear, or I'll spend hours debugging why a particular model isn't connecting properly. But every time someone tells me they're using OllamaZone to learn, build, or just experiment with AI who otherwise couldn't, it makes all those late nights worth it.

So yeah, that's the story. No fancy mission statement or corporate goals. Just a tool I built because I thought more people should have access to these models without needing a fat wallet or a computer science degree.

Give it a try and let me know what you think. And if you build something cool with it, definitely shoot me a message those stories are what keep me going!

Nerdy Bits: The Tech Stack Keeping OllamaZone Alive

For the tech-curious folks wondering what makes this site tick:

• Next.js for the frontend and API routes
• TypeScript to keep my code maintainable and to remind me daily that JavaScript really needed those types all along.
• Prisma for database interactions, saving me from writing SQL queries that would otherwise look like keyboard smashes.
• Tailwind CSS for styling, since I'd rather type thirty class names than maintain a CSS file (no regrets! I love Tailwind)
• MySQL I know a complete solution like Supabase would be a good fit for this stack however my primitive villager mind avoids "dependencies", so I have decided to tackle data chaos with this old & good friend.
• A mighty Hetzner VPS 8 GB RAM, 4 vCPUs, and only €8 a month. That's almost the same price as a pack of Marlboro (in Sweden) but strong enough to keep this site running smoothly.
• Some Rust code for the serious heavy lifting, because sometimes you definitely need a faster language than JavaScript. It powers server connection verification and bulk health checks with small but mighty Rust apps.

How We Find Servers

People often ask how I find all these public Ollama servers. It's actually a community effort with sources coming from:

• Various public and private Discord channels
• AI related IRC groups
• Friends and their friends who share their servers
• Community members who contribute their discoveries

The community aspect is what makes this project special. Every time someone shares a new server, our collective resource grows stronger.

Important Note About Listed Servers

If your server is listed here without your consent, I sincerely apologize. Just send me an email, and I’ll promptly remove it from the database.