How to install LM Studio
Quick answer
Install
LM Studio by downloading the latest installer from the official lm-studio GitHub releases page or website. It supports Windows, macOS, and Linux with no API key required for local model hosting.PREREQUISITES
Windows 10/11, macOS 10.15+, or Linux4GB+ RAM recommendedInternet connection for initial download
Setup
Download the latest LM Studio installer from the official GitHub releases page or the LM Studio website. Choose the installer matching your OS: .exe for Windows, .dmg for macOS, or .AppImage for Linux.
After downloading, run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to complete installation.
Step by step
Here is a typical installation flow on Windows:
1. Go to https://github.com/LM-Studio/LM-Studio/releases/latest
2. Download <code>LMStudio-Setup.exe</code>
3. Run the installer and accept prompts
4. Launch <code>LM Studio</code> from the Start menu
5. Load local AI models or download supported models within the appCommon variations
For macOS, open the downloaded .dmg file and drag LM Studio to the Applications folder. For Linux, make the .AppImage executable with chmod +x LMStudio.AppImage and run it directly.
No API keys are needed since LM Studio runs models locally. You can add different open-source models compatible with the app.
chmod +x LMStudio.AppImage
./LMStudio.AppImageTroubleshooting
- If
LM Studiofails to launch, ensure your OS meets minimum requirements and dependencies are installed. - On Linux, missing libraries may cause errors; install common dependencies like
libfuse2. - Check firewall or antivirus settings if model downloads fail.
Key Takeaways
- Download LM Studio installers from the official GitHub or website for your OS.
- LM Studio runs AI models locally without requiring API keys or internet after installation.
- Use platform-specific installation steps: .exe for Windows, .dmg for macOS, .AppImage for Linux.
- Make Linux AppImage executable before running to avoid permission errors.
- Check system requirements and dependencies if installation or launch fails.