LM Studio vs Perplexity
LM Studio
lmstudio.ai
Perplexity
perplexity.aiSide by side
| Figure | LM Studio | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $20/mo | $20/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 3 | 15 |
| Spec score · AI chatbots and assistants | 8.7 (#19) | 9.5 (#3) |
| File uploads | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | LM Studio lists Claude Code, Codex, Hermes Agent, and OpenClaw as integrations, and supports connecting external tools through MCP. | Yes |
| Mobile apps | Yes | Yes |
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes |
| Web search | Yes | Yes |
Plans
Perplexity
- FreeFree
- Pro$20 a month
- Max$200 a month
- Education ProPriced on request
- Education ProPrice not published
- Enterprise Pro$40 a month
- Enterprise Max$325 a month
- FreeFree
- Pro$20 a month
- Max$200 a month
In their own words
Perplexity
Perplexity is an answer engine that searches the open web and returns answers with inline citations. It can search files and connected apps alongside the web, and can select among more than 20 leading models, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Nemotron. Deep Research conducts searches across many sources and produces a report. Access is available on Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows, with an API also listed. The free plan has limited weekly use for simple questions. Pro costs $20 a month and adds Computer, premium data sources, web search, files, apps, model council, and model selection. Max costs $200 a month and offers higher limits for Deep Research, resource generation, file uploads, and monthly video creation. Enterprise Pro is $40 a month per seat; Enterprise Max is $325 a month per seat. Enterprise plans bill by seat, and API use requires separate credits. Perplexity lists more than 400 app connectors.