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LM Studio

Desktop app for running open AI models on your own computer

Free plan · from $20/moAI AssistantsChecked Oct 5, 2026
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LM Studio, as pictured on lmstudio.ai
How LM Studio presents itself. Image from lmstudio.ai.

What is LM Studio?

LM Studio is a desktop app for downloading and running open large language models on your own computer, with a chat interface, document chat and a local server that exposes OpenAI-like endpoints. It is free for home and work use and can run offline once a model has been downloaded. In July 2026 the company added LM Studio Bionic, a separate agent app for coding and document work that can also use paid, US-hosted cloud models.

LM Studio has a free plan. Paid plans start at $20 per month (Bionic+, for cloud models). See every plan

Good for

  • Running open models privately on a Mac, Windows or Linux computer
  • Developers who want a local OpenAI-like endpoint for their own tools
  • Agent work on code and documents with open models, through Bionic

Worth knowing

  • LM Studio itself is desktop only; on iPhone and iPad its models are reached through the separate Locally app. Intel-based Macs are not supported.
  • Local models need capable hardware: the docs recommend 16GB of RAM or more, and on Windows at least 4GB of dedicated VRAM.
  • The paid plans cover cloud models in LM Studio Bionic, a separate app; cloud use needs an LM Studio account with available credits.
  • LM Link is in preview and free for now; LM Studio says free and paid LM Link plans will follow at general availability.

Key features

Local model runner
Downloads and runs open models such as gpt-oss, Qwen, Gemma and DeepSeek on your own hardware with llama.cpp, plus Apple's MLX on Apple Silicon Macs.
Offline chat with documents
Chat and document chat (RAG) run on the device. The docs say nothing entered into a local chat or dropped into it as a document leaves the machine.
Local API server and SDKs
Serves models on OpenAI-like endpoints on localhost or the local network, with Python and TypeScript SDKs, the lms command line tool and the headless llmster daemon for servers.
MCP client
MCP servers can be installed in LM Studio so that local models can call the tools they provide.
LM Link
Links your own machines over an end-to-end encrypted connection built on Tailscale, so a model on a remote device can be used as if local, including from an iPhone through the Locally app. In preview.
LM Studio Bionic agent
A separate app that works on code and on documents, slides and spreadsheets inside projects, using local models, LM Link models or cloud models billed in credits.

LM Studio pricing

Starts at
$20 per month (Bionic+, for cloud models)
Free plan
LM Studio is free for home and work use. Bionic's Free plan covers the agent, local models, offline voice transcription, LM Link for up to 5 devices and limited web search.
Free trial
None listed
Free$0Local models through llama.cpp and MLX, the Bionic agent, offline voice transcription, LM Link for up to 5 devices and limited web search.
Bionic+$20per monthAdds US-hosted open source cloud models such as Kimi K3 and DeepSeek V4 Flash, discounted bulk tokens, and web search with page extraction.
Pro$100per monthEverything in Bionic+ with 5x the usage limits, discounted bulk tokens and early access to new features.

Read from lmstudio.ai on Oct 5, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with LM Studio before you buy.

Pricing in detail

Works with

LM Studio alternatives

All LM Studio alternatives comparedAll AI assistants

Common questions

Is LM Studio free?

LM Studio has a free plan. LM Studio is free for home and work use. Bionic's Free plan covers the agent, local models, offline voice transcription, LM Link for up to 5 devices and limited web search. Paid plans start at $20 per month (Bionic+, for cloud models).

How much does LM Studio cost?

LM Studio lists 3 plans. Free: $0. Bionic+: $20 per month. Pro: $100 per month. Prices were read from lmstudio.ai on Oct 5, 2026.

What platforms does LM Studio work on?

LM Studio is available on macOS, Windows and Linux.

Does LM Studio have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. LM Studio is listed for macOS, Windows and Linux.

Does LM Studio have an iPhone app?

No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. LM Studio is listed for macOS, Windows and Linux.

Is LM Studio open source?

LM Studio is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.

Does LM 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.

Does LM Studio have an API?

Yes. LM Studio offers a public API, according to its own site.

What does LM Studio integrate with?

LM Studio's listing names Hugging Face, Tailscale, Codex, Claude Code, OpenClaw and OpenCode. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.

Who makes LM Studio?

LM Studio is made by Element Labs, Inc. It dates from 2023.

What are the alternatives to LM Studio?

The closest alternatives to LM Studio in our directory are Jan, Msty, AnythingLLM, Open WebUI and Cherry Studio. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with LM Studio.

Sources for this page

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 5, 2026.