Free tool

LM Studio

A friendly desktop app to run AI models privately on your own computer. Free for work.

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Strong choiceFriendly desktop app for running private local models, free for work.

See how LM Studio fits your setup. Add the tools you already use.

Price

Free

Nonprofit offer

None found

Available in

🌍Anywhere

Suits

Volunteer-run · Small · Medium · Large

Great for

Non-technical staff who want a point-and-click private AI
Organisations testing local AI before committing to a server set-up
Free for work use
Easy for non-technical staff
Private by design when used locally

Watch out for

Teams that need shared multi-user access with logins on a server
People whose computers have little memory
Local models are weaker than the top cloud assistants
Not a managed team workspace
Hardware limits model size

Problems it solves

“We can't put client data into ChatGPT”“I want a simple private AI app I can install without IT help”“Can I use AI offline on my laptop”“I need to summarise confidential documents without uploading them”“Is there a free AI tool for work that keeps data on my computer”

About LM Studio+

LM Studio is a desktop app for downloading and chatting with open AI models that run on your own computer. Since July 2025 it is free for work use as well as personal use, with no form or licence to request. It is a good first step for staff who want a private chat window without using the command line.

Pricing: Free for personal and work use since 8 July 2025. Paid Teams and Enterprise plans exist for private sharing, single sign-on and access controls; their prices were not confirmed.

Key features+

Search and download open models in the appChat interface on your own computerChat with your documentsLocal server compatible with other appsNo account needed

Works with (2)+

Ollama-style local API

Open WebUI

AI features+

The product runs AI models locally. Quality depends on the model and your hardware.

Data & privacy+

LM Studio's privacy policy says that if you run models locally, none of your messages, chat histories or documents are transmitted from your system. The app sends device information and IP address when checking for updates and anonymised search queries when searching for models. Optional cloud features are processed with zero data retention according to the policy; avoid them for sensitive data. The company does not sell personal information.

How sure are we?+

Partly confirmed on the vendor's pages; some details from reputable secondary sources. Prices and nonprofit programs change often, so check with LM Studio before you commit. Rankings on Nonprofit Tools are never for sale.

Sources · last checked 2026-10-02