Free & Open-Source AI Tools

LM Studio logo

LM Studio review

Desktop app to download and run open AI models locally.

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Best for
Chatting with local AI models through a friendly app
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
Check the provider's website for current pricing in your currency.
Company origin
United States

Overview

LM Studio is desktop app to download and run open AI models locally. It is a strong fit for chatting with local AI models through a friendly app. It is used internationally — check that it supports your country's tax rules, currency and payment methods.

Pros

  • Free
  • Easy interface

Cons

  • Large downloads

Who should consider LM Studio?

Consider it if you are among chatting with local AI models through a friendly app. Before you buy, test it with a week of real work, check the price for your number of users, and confirm you can export your data if you switch later.

LM Studio alternatives

SoftwareBest forFree planOrigin
DeepSeek logoDeepSeekReasoning and coding questions on a budgetYesCNVisit
Stability AI (Stable Diffusion) logoStability AI (Stable Diffusion)Teams wanting open image models they can run themselvesVerifyGBVisit
NotebookLM logoNotebookLMStudying and summarising your own documentsYesUSVisit
Google AI Studio logoGoogle AI StudioTrying Gemini models free and building prototypesYesUSVisit
Hugging Face logoHugging FaceFinding and trying thousands of open AI modelsYesUSVisit
Le Chat (Mistral) logoLe Chat (Mistral)A free, fast AI assistant from EuropeYesFRVisit

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Frequently asked questions

Does LM Studio have a free plan?
Yes, it offers a free plan or free tier with limits. Check current limits on the provider's website.
What is LM Studio best for?
Chatting with local AI models through a friendly app.
What are the best alternatives to LM Studio?
DeepSeek, Stability AI (Stable Diffusion), NotebookLM, Google AI Studio, Hugging Face.