Setup guide - Documented by Zed
Use LM Studio in Zed
Zed has a built-in LM Studio provider for the Zed Agent, Inline Assistant and similar features. You download a model, start the LM Studio API server, and pick an LM Studio model in the dropdown.
Last verified 5 steps2 official sources
Steps
- Step 1.
Download and install LM Studio (lmstudio.ai/download).
- Step 2.
Download at least one model in LM Studio, or use the LM Studio CLI.
Terminallms get qwen2.5-coder-7b - Step 3.
Start the LM Studio API server.
Terminallms server start - Step 4.
In Zed, select an LM Studio model from the model dropdown.
- Step 5.
If your LM Studio server requires a key, enter the key in the provider UI or set LMSTUDIO_API_KEY.
Caveats
- This covers Zed's own AI features only. External Agents and Terminal Threads need separate config (Zed docs).
- The Zed page does not state a base URL. LM Studio's default server address is
http://localhost:1234. - The LLM providers docs moved: the LM Studio steps are now at zed.dev/docs/ai/use-a-local-model.
More setup guides
Same tool, other providers
Related reading
- LM Studio Bionic: A Local-First AI Agent for Open ModelsLM Studio launches Bionic, a standalone agent harness for open models with local inference, voice input, and zero data retention cloud options.
- Ollama vs LM Studio vs vLLM vs llama.cpp: Picking a Local Runtime for Coding AgentsOllama vs LM Studio vs vLLM vs llama.cpp for coding agents: what each local runtime is for, where they overlap, and which to pick for your setup.
- Zed Just Made Parallel AI Agents a Native Editor PrimitiveZed Parallel Agents adds a native Threads Sidebar that runs multiple AI agents in one window, with per-thread agent choice and worktree isolation.
- Zed: The Open Source Agentic IDEZed is not another Electron-based editor. It's built from the ground up in Rust, which means real performance without the memory bloat that plagues other IDEs.
FAQ
How do I use LM Studio in Zed?
Zed has a built-in LM Studio provider for the Zed Agent, Inline Assistant and similar features. You download a model, start the LM Studio API server, and pick an LM Studio model in the dropdown.
Which LM Studio model ids work in Zed?
The official docs read for this guide list qwen2.5-coder-7b.
Is this an official LM Studio and Zed setup?
Zed documents this setup in its own docs. It was last checked against 2 official pages on October 17, 2026.
Sources
Last verified against 2 official pages.
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