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Download the current LM Studio graphical installer from the official download page, after checking that your operating system and processor are supported. Installing the app does not install a language model: you will also need to download model weights, load a model, and then start a chat.
Check compatibility before downloading
LM Studio’s current system requirements, checked October 7, 2026, list these supported platforms and vendor recommendations. The RAM and GPU figures are recommendations, not guarantees that every model will fit or run well.
| Platform | Supported system | Installer or requirements | Memory guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| macOS | Apple Silicon M1, M2, M3, or M4; macOS 14.0 or newer. Intel Macs are unsupported. | Use the macOS option on the official download page. | LM Studio recommends 16 GB or more RAM. An 8 GB Mac may work with smaller models and modest context sizes. |
| Windows | x64 or ARM, including Snapdragon X Elite. AVX2 is required for x64. | Choose the Windows installer matching your system from the official download page. | LM Studio recommends at least 16 GB RAM and at least 4 GB dedicated GPU VRAM. |
| Linux | x64 or ARM64 (aarch64); Ubuntu 20.04 or newer. Versions newer than Ubuntu 22 are described as not well tested. | The requirements page identifies AppImage distribution; the download page also lists a .deb option. Check the current page for the package offered for your system. | No specific RAM or VRAM recommendation is stated on the cited requirements page. |
Requirements can change. Confirm them on LM Studio’s System Requirements page before installing. Model size, quantization, context length, and other settings affect how much memory a model uses, so a machine that can install the app may still be unable to load a particular model.
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Download and install the graphical app
- Open LM Studio’s download page and select the GUI installer for your operating system and processor.
- Check the version currently displayed on that page. Release numbers change, so use the latest offered version rather than relying on a version number in an older guide.
- Open the downloaded installer and follow the operating system’s prompts to complete installation.
- Launch LM Studio from your applications list or installed-app menu.
LM Studio states that the app is available under its terms of use. Review those terms if you need to understand the applicable conditions.
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Download a model and start chatting
The application and model weights are separate. LM Studio’s guide notes that weights are commonly distributed in formats such as GGUF or safetensors, and that loading a model typically allocates RAM for its weights and other parameters. Model licenses and degrees of openness vary; check the license for the specific model you choose.
- In LM Studio, open Discover and choose a curated model or search for one.
- Download a model that fits your machine’s available memory and intended use. If resources are limited, a smaller model and a modest context size are more realistic starting points.
- Open the Chat tab and the model loader.
- Select the downloaded model, or a compatible model you have sideloaded. Adjust the load configuration if needed, then load it.
- When the model is loaded, enter a prompt in the chat and send it.
LM Studio’s getting-started guide describes this Discover-to-Chat workflow. If a model will not load, try a smaller model or reduce its context size; installing the GUI alone does not make every model compatible with your hardware.
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Know which download you need
The download page distinguishes the graphical application from llmster, a headless daemon intended for servers, cloud instances, and CI. Developer documentation also covers the lms command-line interface, local APIs, SDKs, and compatible endpoints. Those options are not required to install or use the desktop GUI.
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