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TL;DR - LM Studio
- Beautiful desktop app for running local LLMs
- Visual model browser and one-click downloads
- Free for personal and commercial use
Pricing: Free forever
Best for: Individuals & startups
Score: 83/100
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Beautiful, intuitive UI
- Easy model discovery
- Free for all use (including commercial)
- Excellent Mac support
- No coding required
Cons
- Closed source software
- Larger resource footprint
- Limited scripting/automation
- Updates can be slow
Key Features
Visual model browserOne-click model downloadsBuilt-in chat interfaceOpenAI-compatible local serverApple Silicon (MLX) optimizationNVIDIA GPU supportModel comparison toolsJavaScript and Python SDKs
Pricing Plans
Free
Free
For everyone
- All features included
- Personal and commercial use
- Local API server
- Model management
- Chat interface
- Regular updates
About LM Studio
By Toolradar Team·
LM Studio is a desktop application that brings local LLM inference to everyone with a beautiful, user-friendly interface. Unlike command-line tools, LM Studio provides a visual model browser where you can discover, download, and compare models from Hugging Face. The built-in chat interface lets you test models instantly, and the local server mode provides an OpenAI-compatible API for integration with other tools. LM Studio shines on Apple Silicon Macs with Metal acceleration, but also supports Windows and Linux with NVIDIA GPUs. It's the go-to choice for non-developers who want to experiment with AI locally.
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LM Studio FAQ
Is LM Studio really free for commercial use?
Yes, LM Studio is free for both personal and commercial use. The developers make money through enterprise features and support, not the base application. You can use it in your business without paying.
How does LM Studio compare to Ollama?
LM Studio provides a graphical interface while Ollama is command-line focused. LM Studio is easier for beginners and non-developers. Ollama is better for scripting and automation. Both provide OpenAI-compatible APIs and support similar models.
Does LM Studio require an internet connection?
Only to download models. Once downloaded, models run entirely offline. This makes LM Studio great for privacy-sensitive work or situations without reliable internet.
What models work best with LM Studio?
LM Studio supports GGUF format models from Hugging Face. Popular choices include Llama 3, Mistral, Phi, and Gemma. The app shows compatibility info and recommended RAM for each model in the browser.
Source: lmstudio.ai