The Cherry Studio Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Cherry Studio in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Cherry Studio
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source desktop AI client for 50+ model providers
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI assistants, read from Cherry Studio’s own pages.
Made by Shanghai Qianhui Technology Co., Ltd. · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Cherry Studio’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Cherry Studio’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.2
GPA, above 48 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade
Cherry Studio is an open-source desktop client for chatting with AI models from more than 50 providers through your own API keys, or with local models through Ollama and LM Studio. It adds an agent mode that reads files and runs commands, a knowledge base built from documents and web pages, image generation, translation and Markdown notes, and it keeps data on the device. The Community Edition is free under AGPL-3.0, and a separately priced Enterprise Edition adds central administration and private deployment.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Cherry Studio, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for a free desktop app for your own AI keys
Cherry Studio is a free, open-source desktop app that pulls 50+ AI providers into one window, on your own API keys or local models, with an agent, a knowledge base from your documents, image generation, translation and notes.
- 2
There is a free plan
The Community Edition is free and open source under AGPL-3.0. It includes no model credits: you connect your own provider API keys or local models.
- 3
It runs on 5 platforms
macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
- 4
Multi-provider chat
Connects to more than 50 providers, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini and DeepSeek, and to local models through Ollama and LM Studio. One question can be sent to several models at once to compare replies.
- 5
Work agent and MCP servers
Work is the agent mode: it carries out a task on its own by reading files, running commands and reasoning over several steps. MCP servers add external tools and services.
- 6
Knowledge base
Imports PDF, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX, TXT and Markdown files, URLs and sitemaps into a local knowledge base with vector search that chats can draw on.
- 7
A 3.2 GPA, above 48 of 57
That is against the other AI assistants we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
To replace Cherry Studio you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Cherry Studio at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Shanghai Qianhui Technology Co., Ltd., since 2024
- Category
- AI Assistants
- Our grade
- 3.2 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for a free desktop app for your own AI keys
Cherry Studio is a free, open-source desktop app that pulls 50+ AI providers into one window, on your own API keys or local models, with an agent, a knowledge base from your documents, image generation, translation and notes. But no AI comes with it, so the providers send the bills, the phone apps are betas, and businesses face AGPL terms unless they arrange a license by email.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | The Community Edition costs nothing: the full desktop app, open source under AGPL-3.0. The only paid edition is for companies that want central administration, and that one is quoted on request. Your model providers still bill you for usage. |
| Free plan and trial | A | The whole app is free on Windows, macOS and Linux. No model credits come with it, though. You connect your own API keys, or run local models through Ollama or LM Studio. |
| Features | B | Chat across 50+ providers, one question sent to several models at once, a Work agent that reads files and runs commands, MCP servers, a knowledge base from your own documents, image generation, translation and notes. The job's covered. |
| Ease of use | C | Nothing works until you've added a provider key or set up a local model in Ollama or LM Studio, so there are accounts to sort out first and a lot of app to learn after. No rating on record to go by, either. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Windows, macOS and Linux, and it plugs into OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, DeepSeek, OpenRouter and Ollama. The phone apps are still in beta: Android comes as an APK, and iPhone and iPad through TestFlight. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Cherry Studio is for
- Fits if you already hold API keys for a few providers and want them in one desktop app
- Works for people who run local models in Ollama or LM Studio and want an interface on top
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want AI included, because no model access comes with the app
- Not for you if you need it on your phone today, as the mobile apps are betas sent as an APK and through TestFlight
- Tight if you're a business, since AGPL-3.0 terms apply to commercial use unless you arrange a license by email
- Watch out: employee accounts, central model access and access control are Enterprise only, quoted on request
- Watch out: there are keys or local models to set up and a lot of app to learn before your first chat
Good to know
Good for
- People who already hold API keys for several model providers
- Running local models through Ollama or LM Studio with a full desktop interface
- Users who want chat history and documents kept on their own device
Worth knowing
- No model access is included: you add your own API keys or local models, and each provider charges for usage separately.
- The Android, iPhone and iPad apps are in beta and are distributed as an APK and through TestFlight.
- Central model access, employee accounts and access control are in the Enterprise Edition only, which is quoted on request.
- AGPL-3.0 terms apply to commercial use; a commercial license that exempts a business from them is arranged by email.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
2
plans to choose from
Cherry Studio has a free plan.
The only paid edition is for companies that want central administration, and that one is quoted on request.
Community Edition
$0
The full desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux under AGPL-3.0. You supply your own API keys or local models.
Enterprise Edition
Custom
A privately deployed server with an admin backend for central model access, employee accounts, shared knowledge bases, access control and backup. Sold as a buyout or subscription.
The free plan
The Community Edition is free and open source under AGPL-3.0. It includes no model credits: you connect your own provider API keys or local models.
Read from github.com on Oct 6, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
5
Places it runs: macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
Open-source desktop AI client for 50+ model providers. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, works offline, local-first, AI features, chat assistant, AI agents.
Windows, macOS and Linux, and it plugs into OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, DeepSeek, OpenRouter and Ollama.
- Multi-provider chat
- Connects to more than 50 providers, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini and DeepSeek, and to local models through Ollama and LM Studio. One question can be sent to several models at once to compare replies.
- Work agent and MCP servers
- Work is the agent mode: it carries out a task on its own by reading files, running commands and reasoning over several steps. MCP servers add external tools and services.
- Knowledge base
- Imports PDF, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX, TXT and Markdown files, URLs and sitemaps into a local knowledge base with vector search that chats can draw on.
- Quick Assistant and Selection Assistant
- A global hotkey opens a small question window, and a floating toolbar calls AI on text selected in any app for translation, summaries or explanations.
- Painting, translation and notes
- Separate panels generate images with text-to-image models, translate text side by side and keep Markdown notes that can be exported to a knowledge base.
- Local storage and backup
- Chat history, settings and knowledge base files are stored on the device. Backups can be local or sent to WebDAV, on a schedule if wanted.
Where it runs
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- OpenAI
- Anthropic
- Google Gemini
- DeepSeek
- OpenRouter
- SiliconFlow
- Ollama
- LM Studio
Who makes Cherry Studio
Cherry Studio is published by Shanghai Qianhui Technology Co., Ltd., the company named in the footer of its Chinese site. The Community Edition is free and open source under AGPL-3.0, and the money comes from an enterprise edition and commercial licences.
- Based
- Shanghai, China, where its careers page says its roles sitcherryai.com
- Ownership
- Privately held. Privately held. The Chinese site's footer gives the copyright to Shanghai Qianhui Technology Co., Ltd. with its ICP filing number, and no parent company or investor is named. The careers page calls it an early-stage team.cherryai.com.cn
- Hiring
- Its careers page lists ten open roles in Shanghai, covering engineering, design, enterprise AI delivery and operations, five of them internships.cherryai.com
Read on Oct 18, 2026 from the company’s own pages and from news reports. What is not stated there is left out.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
48/57
Other AI assistants it is graded above
Cherry Studio's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 48 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 4.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 43 of 57) and worst on ease of use (C, above 3).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 58 AI assistants we grade, cut by the letter each got. Cherry Studio’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 38 of 57
- AFree plan and trialAbove 43 of 57
- BFeaturesAbove 28 of 57
- CEase of useAbove 3 of 57
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 23 of 57
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Cherry Studio you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.2 is higher than 48 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade. Cherry Studio is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could not
- An AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, OpenAI, Anthropic and Google Gemini among them.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Cherry Studio’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Chatbox, Jan, Msty, LM Studio and AnythingLLM
The 5 tools Cherry Studio is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.4GPA
Chatbox
Free plan · from $3.50/mo
AI chat client for your own API keys or a hosted model plan.
- Only Chatbox lists a web app.
- Chatbox also covers AI search.
- 3.0GPA
Jan
Free
Open-source desktop app for running local and cloud AI models.
- Only Cherry Studio lists iOS and Android apps.
- Cherry Studio also covers AI agents.
- Jan also covers AI search.
- 2.6GPA
Msty
Free plan · from $149/yr
Private AI workspace for local and online models.
- Only Cherry Studio lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Msty lists a web app.
- Cherry Studio is open source, according to its own site.
- 3.0GPA
LM Studio
Free plan · from $20/mo
Desktop app for running open AI models on your own computer.
- Only Cherry Studio lists iOS and Android apps.
- Cherry Studio is open source, according to its own site.
- 3.2GPA
AnythingLLM
Free plan · from $50/mo
Open-source AI app for documents, agents and local models.
- Only Cherry Studio lists an iOS app.
- Only AnythingLLM lists a web app.
- AnythingLLM is self-hostable, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
10
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Cherry Studio free?
Cherry Studio has a free plan. The Community Edition is free and open source under AGPL-3.0.
How much does Cherry Studio cost?
Cherry Studio lists 2 plans. Community Edition: $0.
What platforms does Cherry Studio work on?
Cherry Studio is available on macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
Is Cherry Studio open source?
Yes. Cherry Studio is open source, according to its own site.
Does Cherry Studio work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
What does Cherry Studio integrate with?
Cherry Studio's listing names OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, DeepSeek, OpenRouter, SiliconFlow, Ollama and LM Studio.
Who makes Cherry Studio?
Cherry Studio is made by Shanghai Qianhui Technology Co., Ltd. Privately held.
What are the alternatives to Cherry Studio?
The closest alternatives to Cherry Studio in our directory are Chatbox, Jan, Msty, LM Studio and AnythingLLM.
How does Cherry Studio compare with other AI assistants?
Cherry Studio's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 48 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 4.
Could I make my own version of Cherry Studio?
To replace Cherry Studio you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Cherry Studio’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Cherry Studio's own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-08-11.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Shanghai Qianhui Technology Co., Ltd. Prices change, so check cherryai.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Cherry Studio, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/cherry-studio
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Cherry Studio: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/cherry-studio
Know someone choosing between AI assistants?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/cherry-studio/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI assistants after Cherry Studio, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Assistants Insider's GuideEvery one of the 58 AI assistants we grade, compared
- Gemini Insider's GuideGoogle's AI assistant, tied into Gmail, Docs and other Google apps3.8 GPA
- Chatbox Insider's GuideAI chat client for your own API keys or a hosted model plan3.4 GPA
- ChatGPT Insider's GuideOpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant for chat, images and voice3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Cherry Studio’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Cherry Studio is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Shanghai Qianhui Technology Co., Ltd. Prices and plans change: check cherryai.com before you buy.