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LM Studio vs Perplexity
Prices, free plans, plans, pros and cons of LM Studio and Perplexity, side by side.
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LM Studio is cheaper Perplexity has more plans Both have a free plan
SIDE BY SIDE
LM Studio or Perplexity?
Pricing
Free
Freemium
Starting price
Free Cheapest
$20 / month
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Plans
2
3 Most plans
Best for
Developers, Privacy-minded users, Students
Students, Researchers, Journalists
Key features
- Download and run open models in one app
- Works fully offline after download
- Chat with your own documents
- Direct answers with numbered sources
- Follow up questions in the same thread
- Research mode for long reports
Pros
- Completely free, also for work
- Your data never leaves your computer
- No account or subscription needed
- Sources on every answer
- Fast, clean and no ads in answers
- Great for research and comparisons
Cons
- Needs a fairly strong computer for big models
- Local models are weaker than the best cloud models
- Large downloads, often several GB per model
- Can still misread a source
- Best features need Pro
- Max plan is very expensive
Prices are shown in USD and can change. They may also vary by country, currency, taxes and billing period. Always confirm the final price on the official website.
