LM Studio
Discover, download and chat with local language models through a desktop interface and local API.
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Local AI Runner
Local LLMs Explained: Apps, Models and Getting Started
A local LLM is a large language model running on your own computer rather than a provider’s remote servers. You download a model, use software to run it, and give it a task.
You don’t necessarily need three separate apps. Some tools combine model downloads, running, and chat in one place. Understanding those pieces makes choosing a setup much easier.
The Three Pieces of Local AI
Choose a Starting Route
If you want to download a model and start chatting through a desktop interface, LM Studio brings those steps together. You can browse models, load one, and use its built-in chat without adding a separate interface.
If you want to run models and connect them to other applications, Ollama provides local model management and an API—a way for software to send requests to the model.
Open WebUI fills a different role: it provides a configurable chat workspace connected to a model provider. One possible setup is Open WebUI connected to Ollama running on your computer.
These roles overlap. LM Studio also offers an API, and Ollama provides an app as well as terminal access. Choose around the workflow you need, not a rigid label.
Explore the Software
Start with LM Studio for an integrated desktop route, Ollama for running models and connecting applications, or Open WebUI when you want a configurable interface around a model backend.
You don’t need to install all three to get started.
Get Your First Conversation Working
Keep the first setup small:
Pick one starting app and check its system requirements.
Choose a compatible model that fits your task and hardware.
Complete the required downloads and select that model.
Try one short question whose answer you can check.
Our guide to choosing local AI models helps narrow the download options.
For installation details, follow the current LM Studio documentation, Ollama quickstart, or Open WebUI setup guide. Start with basic chat before adding documents, tools, or extra connections.
Local Software Doesn’t Always Mean Local Processing
The selected model and connection determine where the work happens. Ollama supports local and cloud models, while Open WebUI can connect to local servers or hosted providers.
An interface running on your computer can still send requests elsewhere. Check the selected provider before assuming a conversation stays on-device.
If disconnected use is the goal, our offline AI chatbot guide explains what to prepare and what may still need the internet.
Start Small, Then Add What You Need
Get one model answering one useful question first. Once that works, decide whether document chat, a different interface, or another model would actually improve your workflow.
The goal isn’t the most elaborate setup. It’s a setup you understand and can use.
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