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LM Studio Prices, limits and access

Desktop app for running open-source LLMs locally.

Free accessFree plan
Paid fromCloud credits (optional)Cloud inference for frontier models

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At a Glance

LM Studio is an AI tool for Agent & RAG frameworks (category: Development & Code). Free access: Free plan. Documented: 2 plans with prices and limits.

Category
Agent & RAG frameworks
Paid from
pay as you go / per 1 million tokens (Cloud credits (optional))
Free Option
Free plan
Plans
2
Sources
2 verified sources
Website
lmstudio.ai (opens in a new tab)

Category: Development & Code · Agent & RAG frameworks

Features

LM Studio is a desktop app that runs open language models (LLMs, large language models) locally via llama.cpp/MLX. Chat, agents, and offline transcription run on your machine; optional cloud inference covers frontier models.

The former requirement for a separate commercial licence was dropped in July 2025. For larger teams, Enterprise (SSO/single sign-on, model gating, private sharing) and a not-yet-priced Teams tier have been announced.

Prices and plans

TierPricePeriodWhat you get
FreefreePermanentLocal LLM execution
Bionic Agent, offline voice transcription
Cloud credits (optional)pay as you goper 1 million tokensCloud inference for frontier models

Prices as stated by the provider, usually plus statutory VAT. The final price depends on your country and is shown by the provider.

Prices last checked: 2026-10-09

Limits

LM Studio's desktop app is free indefinitely for personal and business use: models run entirely locally (via llama.cpp/MLX), no usage costs. Maker Element Labs optionally offers paid pay-as-you-go cloud credits for external model inference.

Terms explained

Speech-to-textOpen source AILocal AIAPI

A selection for “Agent & RAG frameworks” and curated direct comparisons. Direct comparisons carry the most weight, followed by the shared subcategory and shared tasks. Matching free-access types carry less weight. Ties are resolved consistently. No quality rating.

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How we compare

We compare free access, paid entry, plan limits, features and the listed official sources. Unsourced figures stay marked as not published.

Only confirmed entries appear in the catalog. Prices, plans and limits come from listed official vendor pages. Missing figures stay marked as not published. Search results are ordered by Task match by default; category and task lists are alphabetical. Both can be switched to Free access first; neither is a quality ranking. The vendor page always wins.

Edited and checked by the AI Compare Ninja team

Sources

All details regarding plans, limits, and features are based on official vendor documentation and the primary sources verified below.

  • lmstudio.ai
  • lmstudio.ai/pricing

FAQ

Is LM Studio available for free?

Yes. A permanently free plan is published, not a time-limited trial.

Where is the vendor of LM Studio based?

Element Labs, Inc. is based in the USA. Regardless of that location, data processing and privacy terms are governed by the vendor's own contract.

How is LM Studio billed?

LM Studio is permanently free as a desktop app for personal and business use: models run entirely locally (via llama.cpp/MLX), and there are no usage costs. Optionally, Element Labs offers paid pay-as-you-go cloud credits for external model inference.

What is “Element Labs, Inc.” on my bank or card statement?

According to our catalog data, Element Labs, Inc. is the company behind LM Studio, so a charge under this name may come from a subscription or purchase at LM Studio. The exact wording on a bank or card statement is set by the vendor and its payment provider; it can differ and is not recorded here. The invoices in your LM Studio account help to match the charge; for an unknown charge, contact your bank.

What plans does LM Studio offer?

The catalog documents 2 plans with price, billing period, and included features.

Is LM Studio currently available?

LM Studio is active.

Spotted an outdated figure? Vendor pages change without notice. Report an error

LM Studio and related names are trademarks or identifiers of their respective owners (Element Labs, Inc.). They are named solely for descriptive purposes in an independent comparison. AI Compare Ninja has no business relationship, partnership or affiliation with Element Labs, Inc.