llama.cpp vs LM Studio: catalog facts
 llama.cpp |  LM Studio |
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Free Free and open source under the MIT licence. |
Freemium The free plan runs local models and the built-in agent. Paid plans from $20 a month add… |
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Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, Command line |
Windows, macOS, Linux |
- No Python and no dependencies; one binary runs the model
- Quantisation down to 1.5 bits fits big models into small memory
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- Search and download models from Hugging Face without leaving the app
- Serves local models on OpenAI-compatible endpoints, locally and over the network
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- Command line first; the web interface is basic next to dedicated apps
- Quantising hard reduces answer quality, and the trade-off is yours to judge
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- Closed source, unlike most of the local-AI stack it builds on
- Cloud features require an account and a subscription
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Downloadable app |
Downloadable app |
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Open source |
Closed source |
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License: MIT |
License not stated |
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No account needed |
No account needed |
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Works offline |
Works offline |
Checked September 21, 2026 | Checked September 20, 2026 |
Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.
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