Hardware Lab
What AI can you run with no graphics card?
More than you might expect. 39 of the 59 tools in the Free Market that run on your own computer work without a dedicated graphics card, using the processor and main memory.
Without a graphics card, language models run on the processor. Models of up to about 8 billion parameters are comfortable with 16 GB of memory. Larger ones work but answer slowly.
Check a specific model size Check my whole computer
The highest-scoring tools that need no graphics card
A coding agent for the terminal that works with many model providers.
- Easy install
- Windows · Mac · Linux
- Code
- Open source, MIT
- Models
- Your choice, open or paid
- Runs
- Your computer or the cloud
- Real cost
- Free app, model fees vary
Turns almost any file, from spreadsheets to audio, into plain text ready for an AI model.
- Some setup
- Windows · Mac · Linux
- Code
- Open source, MIT
- Models
- None needed
- Runs
- On your computer
- Real cost
- Free
Download and run open language models on your own computer with a single command.
- Easy install
- Windows · Mac · Linux
- Code
- Open source, MIT
- Models
- Open weights
- Runs
- On your computer
- Real cost
- Free
Build AI apps and agents by dragging and connecting blocks, with little or no code.
- Some setup
- Windows · Mac · Linux
- Code
- Open source, MIT
- Models
- Your choice, open or paid
- Runs
- Your computer or the cloud
- Real cost
- Free app, model fees vary
The engine under many local AI apps. Runs language models efficiently on almost any hardware.
- For tinkerers
- Windows · Mac · Linux
- Code
- Open source, MIT
- Models
- Open weights
- Runs
- On your computer
- Real cost
- Free
Lets an AI agent operate a web browser to fill forms, click through sites, and gather information.
- For tinkerers
- Windows · Mac · Linux
- Code
- Open source, MIT
- Models
- Your choice, open or paid
- Runs
- Your computer or the cloud
- Real cost
- Free, model fees vary
Turns speech into text. Transcribes and translates recordings, interviews, and video audio.
- Some setup
- Windows · Mac · Linux
- Code
- Open source, MIT
- Models
- Open weights
- Runs
- On your computer
- Real cost
- Free
An autonomous software agent that writes code, runs it, and browses the web to finish tasks.
- Some setup
- Windows · Mac · Linux
- Code
- Open source, MIT
- Models
- Your choice, open or paid
- Runs
- Your computer or the cloud
- Real cost
- Free app, model fees vary
A document question-answering system that handles complex layouts like tables and scans.
- For tinkerers
- Windows · Mac · Linux
- Code
- Open source, Apache-2.0
- Models
- Your choice, open or paid
- Runs
- Your computer or the cloud
- Real cost
- Free to self-host
A coding agent inside VS Code that plans, edits files, and runs commands with your approval.
- Easy install
- Windows · Mac · Linux
- Code
- Open source, Apache-2.0
- Models
- Your choice, open or paid
- Runs
- Your computer or the cloud
- Real cost
- Free app, model fees vary
Converts PDFs, Word files, and slides into clean text that AI tools can read accurately.
- Some setup
- Windows · Mac · Linux
- Code
- Open source, MIT
- Models
- Open weights, included
- Runs
- On your computer
- Real cost
- Free
Chat with your own documents using any model, local or cloud, in one desktop app.
- Easy install
- Windows · Mac · Linux
- Code
- Open source, MIT
- Models
- Open weights or paid services
- Runs
- Your computer or the cloud
- Real cost
- Free
