Ollama vs LM Studio (2025): Which Local AI Tool Is Better for You?
- Philip Moses
- Oct 6
- 3 min read
Artificial Intelligence (AI) isn’t just for big tech companies anymore. In 2025, tools like Ollama and LM Studio have made it easy for anyone to run advanced AI models right on their own computer — no internet connection or expensive cloud needed.
In this blog, we’ll break down what Ollama and LM Studio are, how they compare in features, performance, and ease of use, and which one might be the right fit for you.
What Are Ollama and LM Studio?
Both Ollama and LM Studio are tools that let you run large language models (LLMs) locally on your PC or laptop.That means you can chat with AI models like Llama 3, Mistral, Gemma, or Phi — all without sending your data to the cloud.
Ollama started as a command-line tool for developers but now also offers a desktop app.
LM Studio is a user-friendly desktop application with a clean interface for chatting with AI models easily.
Both are focused on privacy, offline use, and fast local performance.
Ease of Use: Simple vs Technical
If you want simplicity, LM Studio wins. It’s built for people who just want to download a model and start chatting. Everything happens through a clean interface — no coding, no setup stress. You can browse models, download them, and start using them right away.
Ollama, on the other hand, started out for tech-savvy users. It runs through simple commands like:
ollama run llama3
That said, in 2025, Ollama now also has a desktop app, so you can use it like LM Studio if you prefer visuals over typing commands.
👉 In short:
LM Studio = beginner-friendly, click-and-chat.
Ollama = more control, great for developers.
Supported Models and AI Performance
Both Ollama and LM Studio support a huge range of open-source models in 2025, including:
Meta’s Llama 3 and Code Llama
Google’s Gemma 3 (multimodal)
Mistral and Mixtral
Phi, Qwen, and DeepSeek models
In 2025, both also added GPT-OSS models (OpenAI’s open-source line) — giving users access to more powerful AI reasoning locally.
Performance-wise, both can use your CPU or GPU, but having a good GPU makes things faster.
LM Studio supports Nvidia, AMD, and even integrated GPUs (Intel/AMD).
Ollama added multi-GPU and AMD support, making it more flexible for developers.
If you’re using a laptop without a powerful GPU, LM Studio tends to run smoother thanks to its Vulkan GPU support.
Recent Updates in 2025
Both tools have grown fast this year:
Ollama 2025 Updates
Launched its first official desktop app (July 2025)
Added file drag-and-drop chat support
Improved multi-GPU scheduling for better speed
Integrated web search and cloud model options
Partnered with OpenAI for GPT-OSS models
LM Studio 2025 Updates
Added Google’s Gemma 3 and DeepSeek R1 models
Introduced multi-GPU control and performance boost
Made it free for commercial use (July 2025)
Improved chat UI and model browser
Both are now cross-platform and get regular updates almost every month.
User Experience and Real-World Use
Here’s how people commonly use each in 2025:
LM Studio: Great for chatting, summarizing documents, writing, or learning. Many use it for personal AI assistants or study help.
Ollama: Popular among developers. It’s often used to build local coding assistants, offline chatbots, and data automation tools.
Both tools keep everything private — your data stays on your machine, not on a cloud server.
Which One Should You Choose in 2025?
Here’s a quick summary:
Feature | Ollama | LM Studio |
| Moderate (more for developers) | Very easy (best for beginners) |
| CLI + new desktop app | Full GUI (click and chat) |
| Llama, Mistral, Gemma, GPT-OSS, more | Llama, Gemma, Qwen, Phi, GPT-OSS, more |
| Nvidia + AMD + multi-GPU | Nvidia + AMD + Intel (via Vulkan) |
| Developers, coders, automation | General users, students, creators |
| ✅ | ✅ |
| ✅ | ✅ (even for work) |
✅ Choose LM Studio if:
You want something simple, visual, and ready to use with one click.
💻 Choose Ollama if:
You like flexibility, coding, or want to integrate AI into your own apps and workflows.
Final Thoughts
In 2025, both Ollama and LM Studio are excellent local AI tools — private, powerful, and free.
LM Studio is perfect for anyone who wants an easy-to-use AI companion that just works.
Ollama is ideal for developers or advanced users who love tinkering and building with AI.
No matter which one you pick, both bring AI power to your personal computer — safely, privately, and without the internet.
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