https://localllmguide.com/ https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/home/preview-16x9.webp Find the local AI setup your computer can actually run. Start with your hardware and task. Get a realistic model class, app, and setup path. https://localllmguide.com/guides https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/guides/preview-16x9.webp Get one local AI setup working before adding complexity. Answer-first installation, document, privacy, and workflow guides. https://localllmguide.com/software https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/software/preview-16x9.webp Pick local AI software by the job it performs. Desktop apps, local APIs, browser workspaces, document platforms, and inference engines. https://localllmguide.com/models https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/models/preview-16x9.webp Choose a model for the machine and task you actually have. Start with a curated shortlist. Open the full catalog only when you need the deeper record. https://localllmguide.com/hardware https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/hardware/preview-16x9.webp Turn RAM, GPU memory, and unified memory into a model decision. Direct recommendations for common Mac, Windows, Linux, and GPU configurations. https://localllmguide.com/compare https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/compare/preview-16x9.webp Compare the choices that materially change a setup. Use-case verdicts first. Detailed matrices only when the first decision does not settle it. https://localllmguide.com/troubleshooting https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/troubleshooting/preview-16x9.webp Fix the exact local AI failure instead of reinstalling everything. Start with the symptom, isolate the failing layer, and change one thing at a time. https://localllmguide.com/tools/ram-vram-calculator https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/ram-vram-calculator/preview-16x9.webp Calculate whether a local LLM leaves enough memory headroom. Separate model weights, context, runtime overhead, and memory reserved for normal work. https://localllmguide.com/guides/what-local-llm-can-my-computer-run https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/what-local-llm-can-my-computer-run/preview-16x9.webp What local LLM can my computer run? The useful answer is the model that leaves room for context, documents, and normal work. https://localllmguide.com/compare/ollama-vs-lm-studio https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/ollama-vs-lm-studio/preview-16x9.webp Ollama vs LM Studio Choose LM Studio for the easiest graphical path. Choose Ollama for a lightweight runtime and API. https://localllmguide.com/guides/local-llm-ram-vram-requirements https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/local-llm-ram-vram-requirements/preview-16x9.webp RAM, GPU memory, and unified memory are not interchangeable. Identify the memory pool, choose a sensible model size, and leave headroom. https://localllmguide.com/compare/best-local-ai-setup-for-mac https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/best-local-ai-setup-for-mac/preview-16x9.webp Best local AI setup for an Apple Silicon Mac Choose the first app and model class from the Mac's unified-memory tier. https://localllmguide.com/compare/best-local-ai-setup-for-windows https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/best-local-ai-setup-for-windows/preview-16x9.webp Run local AI on Windows: app choice and setup Start with dedicated GPU memory when present; otherwise choose a smaller CPU or integrated-graphics path. https://localllmguide.com/guides/install-ollama https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/install-ollama/preview-16x9.webp How to install Ollama Install the runtime, run one sensible model, and confirm a normal response before adding other tools. https://localllmguide.com/guides/install-lm-studio https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/install-lm-studio/preview-16x9.webp Download and install LM Studio Choose a model that fits, load it with ordinary settings, and get a successful chat working first. https://localllmguide.com/guides/open-webui-with-ollama https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/open-webui-with-ollama/preview-16x9.webp Use Open WebUI with Ollama Get Ollama working first. Then connect the browser interface to the local model service. https://localllmguide.com/guides/chat-with-pdfs-locally https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/chat-with-pdfs-locally/preview-16x9.webp How to chat with PDFs locally Extract the text, index it, retrieve the right passage, and answer from that passage. https://localllmguide.com/news/ollama-decision-models-nimble-setup https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/ollama-decision-models-nimble-setup/preview-16x9.webp Sort tickets locally with Nimble Use Ollama's decision API, define the allowed answers, and inspect the result before automating. https://localllmguide.com/news/qwen38-splash-bionic-mac-setup https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/qwen38-splash-bionic-mac-setup/preview-16x9.webp Run Qwen3.8 with Splash Check your Mac, install Splash in Bionic, and start with a small local task. https://localllmguide.com/local-ai-privacy https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/local-ai-privacy/preview-16x9.webp Where data can go in a local AI setup Map models, embeddings, documents, sync, tools, logs, and network exposure—not just the model runner. https://localllmguide.com/guides/local-ai-linux-setup https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/local-ai-linux-setup/preview-16x9.webp Install a local model on Linux Check Linux and GPU support, start one small model, and confirm a working response. https://localllmguide.com/guides/use-local-ai-offline https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/use-local-ai-offline/preview-16x9.webp Use local AI without internet Download what you need first, check every part of the workflow, then test offline. https://localllmguide.com/guides/local-models-for-coding https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/local-models-for-coding/preview-16x9.webp Choose a local coding model Match a model to your computer and test it on a small, reviewable coding task. https://localllmguide.com/guides/local-models-for-writing https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/local-models-for-writing/preview-16x9.webp Choose a local writing model Compare drafts on your own writing task while keeping source claims under your control. https://localllmguide.com/guides/local-ai-6gb-vram https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/local-ai-6gb-vram/preview-16x9.webp Run local AI with 6 GB of GPU memory Start with a smaller model and allow space for context and the app. https://localllmguide.com/guides/local-ai-cpu-only https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/local-ai-cpu-only/preview-16x9.webp Run local AI without a dedicated GPU Choose a small model, check system memory, and test the speed on your actual computer. https://localllmguide.com/guides/local-ai-unlimited-tokens https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/local-ai-unlimited-tokens/preview-16x9.webp What unlimited tokens really means Local AI still has context, memory and speed limits even without a per-token bill. https://localllmguide.com/guides/local-ai-context-windows https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/local-ai-context-windows/preview-16x9.webp Choose a useful context window Leave room for instructions, documents, conversation history and the answer. https://localllmguide.com/guides/local-ai-quantization https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/local-ai-quantization/preview-16x9.webp Choose a smaller model download Understand the size and quality trade-offs before selecting a quantized model file. https://localllmguide.com/guides/choose-gpu-for-local-ai https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/choose-gpu-for-local-ai/preview-16x9.webp Choose a GPU for local AI Check app support and usable model memory before comparing prices. https://localllmguide.com/guides/move-local-model-storage https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/move-local-model-storage/preview-16x9.webp Move your local model downloads Use the app-supported storage location and verify a working model before removing old files. https://localllmguide.com/compare/gguf-vs-mlx https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/gguf-vs-mlx/preview-16x9.webp GGUF or MLX for your local setup Choose the model artifact that your app and hardware can actually load. https://localllmguide.com/compare/ollama-vs-llama-cpp https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/ollama-vs-llama-cpp/preview-16x9.webp Ollama or llama.cpp Compare a managed local model service with direct control over GGUF execution. https://localllmguide.com/compare/lm-studio-vs-jan https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/lm-studio-vs-jan/preview-16x9.webp LM Studio or Jan Compare local desktop chat, model support and the complete data path. https://localllmguide.com/troubleshooting/ollama-command-not-found https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/ollama-command-not-found/preview-16x9.webp Fix Ollama command not found Check installation, the terminal environment and the executable path. https://localllmguide.com/troubleshooting/lm-studio-model-will-not-load https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/lm-studio-model-will-not-load/preview-16x9.webp Fix a model that will not load Distinguish an incomplete download, an unsupported model and insufficient memory. https://localllmguide.com/troubleshooting/poor-local-ai-answers https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/poor-local-ai-answers/preview-16x9.webp Improve poor local AI answers Check the task, instructions, source material and context before changing the model. https://localllmguide.com/tools/token-counter https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/token-counter/preview-16x9.webp Count text and PDF tokens locally Use a supported model tokenizer and reserve space for instructions and replies. https://localllmguide.com/tools/browser-ai https://localllmguide.com/images/seo/browser-ai/preview-16x9.webp Try a small model in your browser Download the model explicitly and run temporary chat on a supported device.