--- title: I use two apps to run local AI, and each one does... description: A developer shares their two-app local AI workflow using Ollama and LM Studio. Ollama serves as the invisible backend engine, exposing a local API that... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/i-use-two-apps-to-run-local-ai-and-each-one-does-something-better-hv4ilskn4 twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: I use two apps to run local AI, and each one does something better | daily.dev og:description: A developer shares their two-app local AI workflow using Ollama and LM Studio. Ollama serves as the invisible backend engine, exposing a local API that... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/i-use-two-apps-to-run-local-ai-and-each-one-does-something-better-hv4ilskn4 og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/hv4IlSkn4.png og:image:alt: I use two apps to run local AI, and each one does something better og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # I use two apps to run local AI, and each one does something better **[XDA Developers](https://daily.dev/sources/xda-developers)** · 4 min read · 1 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary A developer shares their two-app local AI workflow using Ollama and LM Studio. Ollama serves as the invisible backend engine, exposing a local API that integrates with tools like Logseq, Home Assistant, and Paperless-ngx. LM Studio handles the interactive side — offering a polished chat interface for testing models, comparing responses, and tweaking settings without touching config files. The key insight is that neither app replaces the other; they complement each other by solving different problems in the same workflow. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### What's the difference between using Ollama and LM Studio for running local LLMs? Ollama functions as a background service exposing a local API, making it the backend that other apps like Logseq, Home Assistant, Paperless-ngx, and coding assistants connect to for local AI. LM Studio provides a polished desktop chat interface for directly conversing with models, comparing responses, and testing new releases without terminal use. Many users run both together rather than choosing one. _Comparing local AI tools like Ollama and LM Studio gets easier with developer discussion on daily.dev._ ### What hardware do you need to run 14B to 20B parameter local AI models smoothly? A desktop with an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, 32GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 runs models in the 14B to 20B parameter range smoothly, according to one self-hosted AI setup. At that hardware tier, performance is no longer the limiting factor when choosing local AI tools, so the choice comes down to workflow and interface preferences instead. _Developers sizing hardware for local LLMs can track real-world setups like this on daily.dev._ ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [These 4 tools paired with Ollama gave me a private AI workflow that actually matters](https://daily.dev/posts/these-4-tools-paired-with-ollama-gave-me-a-private-ai-workflow-that-actually-matters-urbihusn0) · XDA Developers · 3 upvotes · 1 comments - [5 LM Studio alternatives that made me rethink my default local AI app](https://daily.dev/posts/5-lm-studio-alternatives-that-made-me-rethink-my-default-local-ai-app-22y9fprie) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Local AI Models for Coding 2026: Ollama Setup and Best Models](https://daily.dev/posts/local-ai-models-for-coding-2026-ollama-setup-and-best-models-sohghmj3p) · Alex CloudStar · 1 upvotes · 0 comments - [Ollama vs. LM Studio vs. llama.cpp: Which Local AI Runtime Should You Use in 2026?](https://daily.dev/posts/ollama-vs-lm-studio-vs-llama-cpp-which-local-ai-runtime-should-you-use-in-2026--vrytyob1e) · Machine Learning Mastery · 0 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#llm](https://daily.dev/tags/llm), [#self-hosting](https://daily.dev/tags/self-hosting), [#local-ai](https://daily.dev/tags/local-ai), [#ollama](https://daily.dev/tags/ollama), [#lm-studio](https://daily.dev/tags/lm-studio) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/i-use-two-apps-to-run-local-ai-and-each-one-does-something-better-hv4ilskn4) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"I use two apps to run local AI, and each one does something better","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/i-use-two-apps-to-run-local-ai-and-each-one-does-something-better-hv4ilskn4","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/i-use-two-apps-to-run-local-ai-and-each-one-does-something-better-hv4ilskn4"},"datePublished":"2026-07-21T21:03:56.376Z","dateModified":"2026-09-14T07:27:02.468Z","description":"A developer shares their two-app local AI workflow using Ollama and LM Studio. 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