Local AI
Local AI
Foundations
Local AI Landscape
Map the self-hosted AI stack before you pick your first tool
47 of 66
Why run AI locally?
Cloud AI is fast and capable, but it sends your code, prompts, and data to someone else's server. Local AI keeps everything on your machine: private, offline, and with no per-token bill. It is also the cheapest way to experiment aggressively.
The three local stacks
| Stack | Best for | Entry point |
|---|---|---|
| LM Studio | GUI-first chat, quick experiments, OpenAI-compatible server | Download app |
| Ollama | Terminal-first workflows, automation, Modelfiles | One-line install |
| Image generation | Creative assets, thumbnails, dataset generation | ComfyUI |
Key concepts
- Model weights are the trained files (several GB each).
- Quantization shrinks weights to trade a little quality for a lot of speed.
- VRAM on your GPU decides how large a model fits without slowing down.
- CPU offload lets slower machines run big models using system RAM.
Choose your first stack
- Want a chat UI today? Start with LM Studio.
- Want scripts and terminal control? Start with Ollama.
- Want images? Start with ComfyUI.
You can mix them later. LM Studio and Ollama can both expose the same local model through an API.