The LU Labs blog: running AI locally
Notes from the studio: open-weight models, the hardware that holds them, and what the hosted side is for.
Qwen-Image 2.1 Runs Locally: One Open Model That Draws and Edits
Qwen-Image 2.1 is one model for text to image and for editing. What it needs in VRAM, what its research licence forbids, and how it runs in LU Labs 3.0.1.
DeepSeek V4.1 Flash vs V4 Flash 0731: what changed, and what it costs
Two models called Flash, six point seven times apart in price. One reads images and reasons every turn, the other is the cheap workhorse. Which one for which job.
Flux 2 Dev vs Flux Dev vs Flux Schnell
Flux 2 Dev, Flux Dev and Flux Schnell side by side: what each one is for, which is four times cheaper, and which owns the masked edit lane.
How to Generate Flux 2 Images Online
How to generate Flux 2 images online, in a browser tab, with the credit maths spelled out: what a draft costs, and what a finished frame costs.
How to run Qwen 3.8 without a GPU
How to run Qwen 3.8 without a GPU: both flagships are trillion-parameter models, so here is the browser route from five euros, and what you can download.
How to use Kimi K3 online, step by step
How to use Kimi K3 online: the browser route, the OpenAI-compatible endpoint for your own code, and how to keep 2.8 trillion parameters off your credits.
How to Use LU Labs Cloud on a Mac
How to use LU Labs Cloud on a Mac: there is no Mac build, so the route is the browser Studio, plus the API key trick that gets your editor on the account.
Kimi K3 vs DeepSeek V4: which one, and what for
Kimi K3 vs DeepSeek V4: one reads images, the other costs a fraction per token. Every plan carries both, so the choice is price against the work.
Qwen 3.8 Max vs A95B: which one, and what for
Qwen 3.8 Max vs A95B: two flagships in the same picker. The real difference is who controls the reasoning, and what a single turn ends up costing.
What a Mac Can Run Locally in 2026
What a Mac can run locally in 2026: unified memory decides it. What each memory tier holds, the two walls a laptop cannot climb, and the usual split.
GLM 5.3 and GLM 5.3 Flash Are Live in LU Cloud
GLM 5.3 and GLM 5.3 Flash are in the LU Cloud catalog, on every plan and every credit pack. Both think before answering, hence the new Effort button.
GLM-5.3 vs GLM-5.2: Same Model, New Training
GLM-5.3 vs GLM-5.2: we diffed both config files. Every architecture field matches, so 5.3 is 5.2 with new post-training and a stricter licence.
How to Run GLM-5.3 on Your Own Computer
How to run GLM-5.3 on your own computer: what the 754B flagship and the 321B Flash need in disk and memory, and which one your machine can hold.
An opencode Alternative That Cost 40 Percent Less
An opencode alternative, measured: the same bug fix, model and prices, run three times through opencode and once through the LU Labs coding agent.
How to run Qwen 3.8 27B locally, on a PC or a Mac
Run Qwen 3.8 27B locally: real file sizes for every quant, what it needs in VRAM or unified memory, the Mac route through MLX, and the setting that decides it.
Kimi K3 and Ling 3.0 Flash Are Live in LU Cloud
Kimi K3 and Ling 3.0 Flash are in the LU Cloud catalog: what each one is for, what it costs in credits, and how the thinking toggle keeps K3 affordable.
Kimi K2.6 in LU Cloud: When to Pick It Over K3
Kimi K2.6 is the cheaper Kimi, and for long agent runs it is often the right one. What it is good at, where K3 earns its price, and how to use each.
Kimi K3 explained, from release date to price
Kimi K3 in full: announced 16 July 2026, weights on 27 July, 2.8 trillion parameters, a 1M token context, its own licence, and what it draws in credits.
Best Open-Weight LLMs to Run at Home in 2026
The open-weight models worth downloading in September 2026: parameters, context windows and licences from the model cards, plus the four no desk can hold.
Generate AI Images on Your Own Computer
How to generate AI images on your own computer: free, offline and unlimited. What each model needs in VRAM, which are worth the download, and where a Mac fits.
How Much RAM Do You Need for Local AI?
Practical RAM guidelines for local AI in 2026: what runs on 8, 16, 32 and 64 GB, how quantization shrinks models, and how to pick a model that fits.
How to Run AI Models Locally on Your Mac
Step-by-step 2026 guide to running AI models locally on your Mac: which Macs can handle it, how model sizes work, and the easiest apps to get started.
Introducing LU Labs: A Free Local AI Studio
LU Labs is a free desktop app for Windows and Linux: a private AI studio for chat, coding agents, image and video generation, all running locally.
Local AI Video Generation in 2026
An honest look at local AI video generation in 2026: the five open models that run on home hardware, what each costs in VRAM and disk, and where the cloud wins.
Local AI vs Cloud AI: What Stays Private?
A plain-English comparison of what cloud AI services can see and keep versus what stays on your machine with local AI, and how to choose between them.
Ollama vs LM Studio, compared in September 2026
Ollama vs LM Studio in September 2026: licences, platforms, model formats, GPU backends, tool calling, headless servers, and who should pick which one.
What Is an AI Agent, and Why Run One Locally?
What an AI agent actually is, how it differs from a chatbot, and why running one locally keeps your files and code private. Plus how to try one for free.