6 tools
If LM Studio does not suit you on price, device or workflow, these tools do something similar. The closest come first, then other options in the Coding category.
What usually makes people switch: proprietary software, not open source and needs a computer with plenty of memory. LM Studio is freemium: free: local models (llama.cpp and MLX), the Bionic agent, offline voice transcription and limited web search. Bionic+ $20 a month (US-hosted open models, zero data retention) and Pro $100 a month (5× usage).
Compared with LM Studio: Scores higher for coding (80 vs 72), needs more skill.
Where it runs: Windows · Mac · Linux
Compared with LM Studio: Scores higher for coding (88 vs 72), needs more skill.
Where it runs: Browser
Compared with LM Studio: Higher DOA score (93 vs 82), also has a mobile app.
Where it runs: Browser · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone / iPad
Compared with LM Studio: Scores higher for coding (92 vs 72), also has a mobile app.
Where it runs: Browser · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone / iPad
Compared with LM Studio: Scores higher for coding (98 vs 72), needs more skill.
Where it runs: Windows · Mac · Linux
Compared with LM Studio: Scores higher for coding (88 vs 72), also has a mobile app.
Where it runs: Browser · Android · iPhone / iPad
DOA