# LM Studio

A desktop app for downloading, running, and chatting with local models.

HTML: https://softbests.com/software/lm-studio
Markdown: https://softbests.com/software/lm-studio.md
Website: https://lmstudio.ai

- Category: [Developer utilities](https://softbests.com/category/developer-tools)
- Pricing: Freemium
- Platforms: macOS, Windows, Linux

## Best for

People who want a polished GUI for local LLMs, including model search, chat, and an agent, without touching a CLI.

## Why it deserves attention

LM Studio bundles a model browser, llama.cpp and MLX runtimes, an OpenAI-compatible local server, and an agent into a desktop app for macOS, Windows, and Linux. It recommends models by hardware, shows quantization and memory fit, and supports offline voice transcription and LM Link across devices. The app is free, including local use, while optional Bionic+ plans add US-hosted cloud models and higher usage. The trade-off is that the app itself is closed source, cloud features are subscription-based, and very large models still depend on your RAM or VRAM.

## Can replace

- [Ollama](https://softbests.com/software/ollama)

## Related and alternatives

- [Jan](https://softbests.com/software/jan)
- [OpenCode](https://softbests.com/software/opencode)
- [Jan](https://softbests.com/software/jan)
- [Ollama](https://softbests.com/software/ollama)