C
CGeneral-purpose AI chat assistant for writing, research, coding and everyday tasks
Free, from $8/mo
Claude vs LM Studio
Pricing, features, platforms and who each one suits — side by side.
C
Choose Claude if…
- you want the lower entry price ($17/mo vs $20/mo)
- you work on Web, iOS, Android
- you're in its core audience: knowledge workers, software developers
L
Choose LM Studio if…
- you're in its core audience: developers, privacy-conscious professionals
Side by side
Feature Claude LM Studio
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starting price$17/mo$20/mo
Free plan
Free trial
API
Open source
Trains AI on your content—No
Data retention—Prompts and responses not retained; cloud requests processed transiently (Zero Data Retention)
Security and compliance—GDPR
Updates, last 90 days—7
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Chrome, API—
CategoryAI ChatbotsLocal & Open Models
CompanyAnthropic PBC · United StatesElement Labs, Inc. · United States
Full feature lists
C Claude
- Chat with web search and memory
- File creation and code execution
- Artifacts, Slides, Docs and Design tools
- Claude Code for software development
- Projects for organizing work
- Scheduled and handed-off tasks
- Chrome, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace integrations
- Per-token API with batch discount
L LM Studio
- Bionic agent creates and edits documents, slides and PDFs
- Coding, automation and computer control tasks
- In-app download of local LLMs
- Runtime powered by MLX and llama.cpp
- Real-time on-device voice transcription in multiple languages
- Optional US-hosted open frontier models with zero data retention
- LM Link connects up to 5 devices on Free
- JavaScript and Python SDKs plus the lms CLI
Their home pages
What each vendor shows first: the pitch, the plans and the sign-up.
Claude · claude.ai
LM Studio · lmstudio.aiWhat you'd pay
The cheapest plan that fits, per month, billed yearly where the plan offers it.
| Team size | Claude | LM Studio |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $17 Pro | $20 Bionic+ |
| 5 people | $100 Team Standard | $20 Bionic+ |
| 20 people | $400 Team Standard | $20 Bionic+ |
Work it out for your team
What the free plans include
Claude
Free plan limits aren't published.
LM Studio
- LM Link for up to 5 devices
- Limited web search
All plans and prices
Claude
Free$0
Pro$20/mo or $17/mo billed yearly ($200)
MaxFrom $100/mo
Team Standard$25/seat/mo or $20/seat billed yearly
Team Premium$125/seat/mo or $100/seat billed yearly
Enterprise$20/seat billed yearly + usage at API rates
LM Studio
Free$0
Bionic+$20 USD/month
Pro$100 USD/month
Strengths and limitations
Claude
- Free plan includes web search, code execution and memory
- Apps for web, desktop, iOS and Android
- Max plans include $100-$200/month in API credits
- Enterprise plan offers a HIPAA-ready option and a Compliance API
- Claude Code is not included in the free plan
- Max plans are billed monthly only
- Enterprise requires a 20-seat minimum
- API is billed separately from chat plans
LM Studio
- Free plan includes the agent, local models and offline transcription
- Voice data is processed locally
- Cloud services are stated to use Zero Data Retention
- SDKs for JavaScript and Python plus a CLI
- Hosted frontier models require a paid plan starting at $20/month
- Free plan has only limited web search
- Team subscription plans are not yet available
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D
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MOpen-weight AI models, chat and coding agent you can run on your own infrastructure
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M
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Local & Open ModelsFree planAPIOpen source
Facts from each vendor's public pages, prices checked Oct 26, 2026. Editorial policy