Choosing and Running Uncensored Models
Short answer: Dozens of 'uncensored' versions exist, built by strangers and rated by strangers in forum threads. Some are the same model with the refusals edited out, and quality varies. Choosing one is mostly reading — the license, the file, the test results on your own prompts.
Where these models come from
There is no single shelf. Dozens of uncensored versions exist, built by strangers and rated by strangers in forum threads. That is the supply, and it is why the testing below is not optional.
Set expectations the way the Freeborn homepage does: the models are open models, strong for chat and writing but behind the best closed models on the hardest reasoning.
Read the license before you rely on one
Read the license before you rely on a model. Some allow personal use only, and some do not allow a paid service. Licenses can also change between versions, so a license you read once is not a license you have read for the version you are running now.
Test it yourself, and keep the file safe
Test each candidate on your own prompts, including the ones you care about. Watch for a model that is strong at full size and weak at 4-bit — the version that fits your box may not be the version the forum thread was praising.
Keep the file safe: prefer safetensors files over pickle files, and check file hashes against the publisher. Tools named on the pillar page: Ollama is the easiest local test; vLLM is what runs on a rented GPU. A new release can also break your tool calls, which is why new releases get tested before they replace the one that works.
The check a DIY build has to write itself
Adults only. A DIY build does not come with a block on sexual content involving minors, and the model will not stop it for you. If you build one, you must write, test and maintain that check yourself, against misspellings, stated ages and multi-message setups. The pillar page describes the done-for-you version as running in code before every request, tested against a fixed set of attack phrases, and never coming off for anyone.
The hours, as estimated on the pillar page
First time: about 20 to 40 hours. Then about 2 to 4 hours a week to test new releases. These are the pillar page's estimates, not measured data, and they assume you have built software before. If you have not, add time.
Related DIY pages
Back to the pillar: What it takes to do this yourself
Adults only (18+). What it takes to do this yourself · Apply