How do I run AI on my own computer?

Ollama vs LM Studio (with Bionic agent), compared on the jobs that matter for this question. The verdict comes straight from the scores, so it changes when they do. 100 is the best available today in that job.

New to this? What the scores and labels mean

0 to 100: Our score for one job, like writing or coding, compared with everything else out today. 100 is the best available today. For AI models we build it from public data, such as Arena's blind votes and Epoch AI's independent tests; apps and tools are scored on our own checklist. The same tool can score differently for different jobs, and where two likely ranges overlap, we call it a tie.
Our verdict: Use it: a top choice for most people. Worth trying: good, and worth a go. Depends: good for some people or one kind of job. Wait: too early to tell, or not out for everyone yet. Skip: something else does the job better.
First look: Just released. We say what it is and whether to bother, and give it a score once public results exist.
No score yet: None of the public sources we use covers it yet, or the only evidence is from a source whose numbers we can't use, so we describe it in words instead.
Best buy: Nothing cheaper scores as well for that job.
Best free: The best score for that job that costs nothing, through a free plan or by running on your own computer.
Pay as you go: No monthly plan: you pay for each use, usually through a developer account.
Checked: The day we last confirmed the score and the price against the sources. Prices change often, so check the date.
AI model: The engine underneath, like GPT or Claude. You use it through an app or, if you code, directly.
Open source: Free to download and run on your own computer, so nothing leaves your machine.

How we score, in full

Our verdict

For coding, Ollama and LM Studio (with Bionic agent) are tied at 80; all are free.

llama.cpp, the engine under both, is not here: it is on our Passed on list, since these two are free and easier to set up.

Best marks the top score in each job; when likely ranges overlap, each tied one says Tied. Open in Compare to add or swap items.

Ollama vs LM Studio (with Bionic agent): scores by job, price and where it runs
	OllamaOllama · Open sourceWorth trying	LM Studio (with Bionic agent)LM Studio · AppWorth trying
CodingWriting and fixing code	80Tiedour checklist	80Tiedour checklist
Price for these scoresThe plan the scores above are for	Both: Free
Open source	Yes	No
In a line	Free, private way to run open coding models like Qwen3.8 27B on your own computer; skip it if you need frontier quality.	Free desktop app for running open coding models privately, now with a local agent; skip it if you need frontier quality.
Both	Free to try · Runs on your computer

Other head-to-heads

Which chat app should I use every day?ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini
Which model is best for coding?Claude Opus 5.5 vs GPT-6.1 Sol vs GPT-6 Astra vs Claude Sonnet 5.5 vs Mistral Large 4
Which AI makes the best images?Nano Banana 2.1 vs GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst vs GPT Image 2.5 Flare vs FLUX 3 Image vs Qwen-Image-2.1 vs Midjourney V8.2
Which AI voice sounds best?Eleven v4 vs Eleven v4 Turbo vs Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS vs Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS vs GPT-Live 1