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LM Studio pricing in 2026

LM Studio is open source. Free to run, source available, bring your own keys or self-host. Here is the breakdown of how you pay, plus cheaper alternatives if it is not the right fit.

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Plans

Verified October 2026
FreeFree
Full access to the model browser, local chat, and local server. No account or credit card required.

LM Studio is free for personal use and does not require an account. Commercial use requires a paid license; check lmstudio.ai for the current commercial terms. Hardware is the main cost: most 7B models need a GPU with 8 GB of VRAM or more for a comfortable inference speed.

How you pay

Free tierFree to run: self-host or bring your own API key.
Paid plansNot offered for this tool.
Usage / APINot offered for this tool.
Open sourceSource-available: self-host to control cost.

Pricing summary: Free. Always confirm current plans on the official site.

Frequently asked questions

How much does LM Studio cost?

LM Studio is open source: Free.

Is LM Studio free?

Yes, LM Studio has a free path. Free to run: self-host or bring your own API key.

Is LM Studio free?

Yes, for personal use. Commercial use requires a paid license. There is no subscription, no account, and no per-request billing.

Does LM Studio work on Windows?

Yes. LM Studio runs on Mac (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows, and Linux. GPU acceleration on Windows uses NVIDIA CUDA or AMD ROCm.

Cheaper or alternative options

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