More AI vs LM Studio
LM Studio is a free desktop app for discovering and running local AI models. More AI is a free desktop assistant that can use those local models — and cloud providers — with a coding agent, document generation and scheduled routines on top.
LM Studio is a popular free desktop app for running large language models locally — it has a model browser, a chat window and a built-in local server, so you can download a model and run it entirely on your own machine.
More AI works at a different layer: it’s a desktop assistant with Chat, Cowork and Code modes that can connect to a local model (including one served by tools like Ollama) and to cloud providers. The two are complementary — LM Studio is great at running local models; More AI is the agentic app you work in.
| More AI | LM Studio | |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | An AI assistant: chat, documents and a coding agent | Discovering, running and serving local models |
| Models | Cloud providers (BYOK) and local models | Local models (GGUF/MLX); primarily on-device |
| What you pay | Free app; you pay your provider per use, at cost | Free |
| Account | Optional — works fully without one | Not required |
| Where data lives | On your machine, in local storage | On your machine |
| Agent features | Cowork edits files and builds documents; Code works on repositories | Chat with local models; local API server |
| Scheduled routines | Built in | No |
What is LM Studio?
LM Studio is a free desktop app focused on local models. It lets you browse and download models, chat with them, and expose a local OpenAI-compatible server so other apps can use the model running on your machine. Everything runs on-device, with no account required.
It’s one of the easiest ways to run models locally — and many people use it as the engine behind other tools.
What is More AI?
More AI is a free desktop assistant with three modes — Chat, Cowork (read and edit files, generate Word/Excel/PowerPoint documents) and Code (a planning coding agent for your repositories) — plus scheduled routines. It connects to cloud providers with your own keys and to local models, so you can mix and match.
Where LM Studio is about running a model, More AI is about getting work done with one: it’s the agentic application layer, and it keeps your data on your machine.
When LM Studio is the better choice
LM Studio is the better pick in clear cases.
- Your main goal is to download, run and serve local models on your machine.
- You want a simple local model browser and a local API server.
- You only need chat with a local model, fully offline.
When More AI fits better
More AI fits when you want an assistant, not just a model runner.
- You want a coding agent and document generation, not just chat.
- You want to use cloud providers (BYOK) and local models in one app.
- You want scheduled routines that run AI tasks on your machine.
- You can even point More AI at a local model and use both together.
FAQ
Can More AI use local models like LM Studio?
Yes. More AI can connect to a local model (for example one served via Ollama), so you can work fully offline — and it adds cloud providers and agent features on top.
Can I use them together?
Yes. They’re complementary: run a model locally and use More AI as the assistant that does chat, documents and coding with it.
Is More AI free?
The app is free to download and run. With cloud models you pay your provider at cost; with a local model there’s nothing to pay per use.
Do I need an account?
No — More AI works fully without one. An optional free account only powers cross-device sync.