Cursor
The best way to code with AI
VS
LM Studio
Local AI on your computer
Detailed comparison
Criteria
Cursor
LM Studio
Pricing
Freemium
Freemium
Plans & pricing
Hobby (Free): Free, Pro: $17/mo, Pro+: $60/mo, Ultra: $200/mo, Teams: $32/mo, Enterprise: Custom
Free: Free, Enterprise: Custom
Free trial
Yes
No
Audience
b2b
b2c
Platforms
Desktop
Desktop
API
No
Yes
Open Source
Proprietary
Proprietary
Categories
Dev Tools
Data Science, Chatbots
Popularity
Very High
Very High
Description
Cursor is an AI-first code editor. Built to make you extraordinarily productive, it offers the best way to build software with AI.
LM Studio is a desktop application for macOS, Windows, and Linux, enabling users to discover, download, and run various large language models (LLMs) l...
Pricing
Cursor
Freemium
LM Studio
Freemium
Plans & pricing
Cursor
Hobby (Free): Free, Pro: $17/mo, Pro+: $60/mo, Ultra: $200/mo, Teams: $32/mo, Enterprise: Custom
LM Studio
Free: Free, Enterprise: Custom
Free trial
Cursor
Yes
LM Studio
No
Audience
Cursor
b2b
LM Studio
b2c
Platforms
Cursor
Desktop
LM Studio
Desktop
API
Cursor
No
LM Studio
Yes
Open Source
Cursor
Proprietary
LM Studio
Proprietary
Categories
Cursor
Dev Tools
LM Studio
Data Science, Chatbots
Popularity
Cursor
Very High
LM Studio
Very High
Description
Cursor
Cursor is an AI-first code editor. Built to make you extraordinarily productive, it offers the best way to build software with AI.
LM Studio
LM Studio is a desktop application for macOS, Windows, and Linux, enabling users to discover, download, and run various large language models (LLMs) l...
Features
Cursor
AI Agents
Code Review
AI-powered Tab Completions
Bugbot Rules
Shared Chats and Commands
LM Studio
Run various AI models locally and privately on your computer
Discover and download LLMs from platforms like Hugging Face
Includes a built-in chat interface for model interaction
Provides a local HTTP server compatible with the OpenAI API
Supports hardware acceleration (Apple Silicon, NVIDIA, AMD)
Key differentiators
Cursor
- AI-first code editor
- Best way to build software with AI
LM Studio
- Run LLMs locally and privately
- OpenAI API compatible local server
- Discover & download LLMs from Hugging Face
Other comparisons
FAQ: Cursor vs LM Studio
Cursor: The best way to code with AI. LM Studio: Local AI on your computer. Both tools take different approaches to address similar needs.
Both offer a free or freemium plan. Cursor is freemium and LM Studio is freemium.
The best choice between Cursor and LM Studio depends on your specific needs. Compare their features, pricing, and target audience on this page to find the tool that best fits your use case.
Cursor is primarily designed for individuals, while LM Studio is built for individuals.
Cursor offers: AI Agents, Code Review, AI-powered Tab Completions, Bugbot Rules. LM Studio offers: Run various AI models locally and privately on your computer, Discover and download LLMs from platforms like Hugging Face, Includes a built-in chat interface for model interaction, Provides a local HTTP server compatible with the OpenAI API.
Based on our data, Cursor currently enjoys greater popularity. However, popularity isn't the only factor — compare features to find the right tool for your needs.