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Kernl vs LM Studio
LM Studio is a well-made way to download open models and chat with them on your own computer. It also serves those models to other programs on your machine, which is why a lot of developers build against it. Kernl does a different job. It is a desktop app that uses a model to do things on your computer.
Side by side
| LM Studio | Kernl | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs open models on your machine | Yes | Yes |
| Chat with a model | Yes | Yes |
| Serves models to your own code | Yes | Not offered |
| Connect extra tools | Yes | Yes |
| Which models it can use | Local models | Local models, or your own cloud key |
| Edits your files, runs commands, drives your browser | Through tools you connect | Built in |
| Asks your approval before a tool runs | Yes, per tool call | Yes, sorted by what the action could do |
Which one to reach for
Use LM Studio when
You want a good local chat window, or you are writing your own software and want a model running on the same machine to call.
Use Kernl when
You want the model to do the work itself: change files, drive the browser, run commands, and stop for your approval first.