The Best Ollama Models for Coding & Web Development: A Deep Dive
Z
Zack Saadioui
8/12/2025
So, you're diving into the world of local LLMs with Ollama & you want to know which model is the absolute best for slinging code. That's a great question, & honestly, the answer isn't as simple as picking just one. It REALLY depends on what you're doing, what kind of machine you're running, & what your goals are.
I’ve spent a ton of time in the trenches with these models, testing them out on everything from simple scripts to complex web applications. Here’s the thing, the "best" model is a moving target. The open-source community is on FIRE right now, & new, more powerful models are dropping all the time. But as of right now, here's my deep dive into the best Ollama models for coding & web development.
Why Even Bother with Local Models?
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let's just quickly touch on why you'd even want to run these models on your own machine. For developers, it boils down to a few key things:
Privacy: Your code is your secret sauce. When you use a cloud-based API, you're sending your code over the internet. With Ollama, everything stays on your machine. Period. This is HUGE if you're working on proprietary stuff.
Cost: Those API calls can add up FAST, especially if you're using AI assistance heavily. Running a local model is free. You pay with your own hardware's electricity, but there are no per-token costs.
Offline Access: No internet? No problem. You can still code, get suggestions, & debug without needing a connection. Perfect for working on a plane or in a coffee shop with spotty Wi-Fi.
Customization: You can fine-tune these models on your own codebase or specific documentation, creating a hyper-specialized assistant that truly understands your project.
Okay, let's get to the main event.
The Top Ollama Contenders for Coding & Web Dev
I'm going to break down the models I use most often & for what specific tasks. Think of this as your guide to building your own local AI development dream team.
1. Code Llama (codellama:34b) - The Code Generation Workhorse
If you just want a rock-solid model for generating code, start here. Code Llama, especially the 34-billion parameter version, is a beast. It was specifically trained by Meta on a massive dataset of code, so its bread & butter is understanding programming logic.
Why it's great:
Excellent Code Completion: This is its superpower. It's fantastic at finishing your thoughts, whether it's a simple function or a complex class. Its completion accuracy is often cited as being around 87%.
Context-Aware: It's pretty good at looking at your open files to understand the broader context of your project, leading to more relevant suggestions.
Debugging & Refactoring: You can paste in a chunk of code with an error & it will not only spot the issue but suggest a fix. It's also great for taking a working piece of code & helping you refactor it for better performance or readability.
The catch:
Resource Heavy: The 34B model is no lightweight. You'll want a machine with a decent GPU & at least 24GB of RAM to run it smoothly. There are smaller versions, like the 7B and 13B, which are great for less powerful machines, but the 34B is where the magic really happens for complex tasks.