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LM Studio

A desktop app for chatting with local models.

Verdict
Watch Promising, but something is missing: access, pricing, or proof.
Maker
LM Studio
Price / access
Free to download. The desktop app is not open source. Pricing source
Pricing checked
November 7, 2026
Primary source
lmstudio.ai

We built this profile from public sources and didn't use the product ourselves. The price is what we saw on the day we checked, so it may have changed.

Who it’s for

People who want a window, a model picker, and a local server.

Why we said Watch

What it is

A desktop app for chatting with local models. See the official page. This profile describes public documentation, not a Loaded Tokens hands-on test.

Who it is for

People who want a window, a model picker, and a local server. The recommendation is scoped to that job.

The evidence behind Watch

Useful local software. The terms, not a public LICENSE file, govern redistribution. The source page is the receipt. No speed ranking or reliability score is implied.

Pricing and the catch

Free to download. The desktop app is not open source. Public pricing or license checked November 7, 2026. Amounts are as stated on that page. Tax, region, annual billing, and extra usage can change the bill.

A sensible first workflow

Install it, load one model, and read the terms before you ship it inside something you sell. This is a suggested evaluation, not a test we ran.

Bottom line: Watch if you need source code or the right to resell the app.

Sources

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