What does LM Studio do?

LM Studio lets you download and run open-source LLMs locally on your computer. LM Studio Bionic adds a local-first agent for document work and coding, with optional paid cloud models.

Who is LM Studio best for?

Developers, researchers, and privacy-focused users who want local models, plus people who want an on-device agent for work and code with optional cloud upgrades.

Do I need to install anything to use LM Studio?

Yes. Download LM Studio / Bionic for Windows, macOS, or Linux from lmstudio.ai/download. A headless llmster install is also documented for servers/CI.

Is LM Studio free to use?

Yes for local use. The Free plan includes Bionic Agent and local model support. Paid Bionic+ ($20/mo) and Pro ($100/mo) add hosted models and higher limits.

Does LM Studio offer a free trial or demo?

The Free plan is the main way to try Bionic and local models. Paid plans can be managed from the dashboard; check lmstudio.ai/pricing for current terms.

Does LM Studio have a plan for teams or businesses?

Centralized organization billing for inference credits is available (create an organization). Dedicated team subscription plans are described as coming soon on the pricing FAQ.

Does LM Studio offer an API or integrations?

Yes. Local OpenAI-compatible API serving, SDKs, CLI/llmster, and LM Link for connecting devices are part of the LM Studio developer surface.

How do I contact LM Studio support?

Community Discord (discord.gg/lmstudio) is the primary public channel. bugs@lmstudio.ai has been used for bug reports; confirm current contacts on lmstudio.ai.

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LM Studio

AI Infrastructure & MLOps

Desktop app to run open-source LLMs locally and LM Studio Bionic, a local-first agent for work and code with optional US-hosted cloud models and ZDR.

Available Via:DesktopWindowsmacOS

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LM Studio is a cross-platform desktop product family for running open-source LLMs locally, now centered on LM Studio Bionic — a local-first AI agent for work and code — while classic LM Studio chat/runtime remains available.

Key capabilities include:

LM Studio Bionic: agent projects for documents and coding (search/edit repo, Git, shell), real-time local voice transcription, skills
Local model runtime (llama.cpp / MLX) to download and run open models offline
Optional cloud inference (Bionic+ / Pro) with US-hosted OSS models and Zero Data Retention (ZDR) stated on pricing
LM Link, local OpenAI-compatible serving, and developer tooling (headless llmster daemon also offered on the download page)

Pricing (from lmstudio.ai/pricing):

Free ($0): Bionic Agent, local LLMs, offline voice transcription, LM Link up to 5 devices, limited web search
Bionic+ ($20/month): US-hosted OSS models, discounted bulk tokens, web search/page extraction
Pro ($100/month): 5× usage limits, early access; org billing available for teams

Notable for privacy-first local inference plus an optional cloud tier under the same LM Studio brand.

Sources: https://lmstudio.ai/ , https://lmstudio.ai/pricing , https://lmstudio.ai/download . Audit date 2026-11-05.

Frequently Asked Questions About LM Studio

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LM Studio

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Frequently Asked Questions About LM Studio

What does LM Studio do?

Who is LM Studio best for?

Do I need to install anything to use LM Studio?

Is LM Studio free to use?

Does LM Studio offer a free trial or demo?

Does LM Studio have a plan for teams or businesses?

Does LM Studio offer an API or integrations?

How do I contact LM Studio support?

Do more with LM Studio

Products similar to LM Studio

Products similar to LM Studio

Recent Reviews for LM Studio