Local AI models on Mac: where Ollama, LM Studio and Hugging Face store them
Local AI tools store models in hidden folders. Here are the default locations from each tool documentation and a read-only way to see how big each one is.
AI models
Where local AI models and their caches live on a Mac, and how to find and remove the big ones.
Local AI tools download models of several gigabytes each, often to hidden folders. These articles show where common tools store them and how to review what is worth keeping.
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Remove AI tool leftovers from your Mac
Uninstalling a local AI tool does not remove its models. Here are the documented places to check for Ollama, LM Studio and the Hugging Face cache.
Duplicate models across Ollama and LM Studio: stop storing them twice
Ollama and LM Studio each keep their own model folders. Compare them by name and size, keep one copy, and know what a re-download costs.
Delete Ollama models and free the space
Remove models through Ollama, not Finder. Here is where the files live, how the documented list and remove commands fit in, and what you give up.
Hugging Face cache filled your disk: find and clean it
The cache never deletes old revisions on its own. Use the hf command to list what is in it, preview a deletion, and remove only what you can download again.