kitio.aiCherry Studio vs HuggingChat
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Cherry Studio is completely free, while HuggingChat is freemium.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Dozens of providers
- Local model support
- Knowledge bases
- Preset assistants
- MCP tools and agents
- Open-weight model picker
- Automatic model routing
- Web search tool
- Image generation tools
- Open-source code
| Feature | Cherry Studio | HuggingChat |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Free open-source desktop client for dozens of AI providers | Hugging Face's chat app for trying open-weight models in one place |
| Category | Chat assistants | Chat assistants |
| Pricing model | Free | Freemium |
| Starting price | Free | $9/mo |
| Free plan | Yes, fully free | Yes |
| Made by | CherryHQ | Hugging Face |
| Based in | China | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
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Pricing compared
Cherry Studio is completely free, while HuggingChat is freemium.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Free
Free
- HuggingChat and Hub access
- Standard usage limits
PRO
$9/mo
- $2 inference credits per month
- 8x ZeroGPU quota, top priority
- 10x private storage
Team
$20/mo
- Per user
- SSO (SAML and OIDC)
- Audit logs, resource groups
Enterprise
$50/mo
- Per user
- SCIM provisioning
- Highest storage and rate limits
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Cherry Studio
- Completely free
- Very broad provider support
- Data stays local
- Setup needs your own API keys
- Many settings to learn
- Docs partly in Chinese
HuggingChat
- Easy way to try open models
- No lock-in to one provider
- Open-source interface
- Monthly credits run out quickly
- Answers vary between models
- Fewer polished features
Which one should you choose?
Choose Cherry Studio if you want:
- Completely free
- Very broad provider support
- Data stays local
Watch out: setup needs your own api keys.
Choose HuggingChat if you want:
- Easy way to try open models
- No lock-in to one provider
- Open-source interface
Watch out: monthly credits run out quickly.
Cherry Studio vs HuggingChat FAQ
What is the difference between Cherry Studio and HuggingChat?
Cherry Studio: Free open-source desktop client for dozens of AI providers. HuggingChat: Hugging Face's chat app for trying open-weight models in one place. Both are chat assistants tools.
Is Cherry Studio or HuggingChat cheaper?
Cherry Studio is completely free, while HuggingChat is freemium.
Do Cherry Studio and HuggingChat have free plans?
Cherry Studio: Yes, fully free. HuggingChat: Yes.
Who makes Cherry Studio?
Cherry Studio is made by CherryHQ, based in China.
Who makes HuggingChat?
HuggingChat is made by Hugging Face, based in United States.
Which should I choose, Cherry Studio or HuggingChat?
Choose Cherry Studio if you value completely free and very broad provider support. Choose HuggingChat if you value easy way to try open models and no lock-in to one provider.