> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.strix.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Local Models

> Run Strix with self-hosted LLMs for privacy and air-gapped testing

Running Strix with local models allows for completely offline, privacy-first security assessments. Data never leaves your machine, making this ideal for sensitive internal networks or air-gapped environments.

## Privacy vs Performance

| Feature       | Local Models                  | Cloud Models (GPT-5/Claude 4.5) |
| ------------- | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------- |
| **Privacy**   | 🔒 Data stays local           | Data sent to provider           |
| **Cost**      | Free (hardware only)          | Pay-per-token                   |
| **Reasoning** | Lower (struggles with agents) | State-of-the-art                |
| **Setup**     | Complex (GPU required)        | Instant                         |

<Warning>
  **Compatibility Note**: Strix relies on advanced agentic capabilities (tool use, multi-step planning, self-correction). Most local models, especially those under 70B parameters, struggle with these complex tasks.

  For critical assessments, we strongly recommend using state-of-the-art cloud models like **Claude 4.5 Sonnet** or **GPT-5**. Use local models only when privacy is the absolute priority.
</Warning>

## Ollama

[Ollama](https://ollama.ai) is the easiest way to run local models on macOS, Linux, and Windows.

### Setup

1. Install Ollama from [ollama.ai](https://ollama.ai)
2. Pull a high-performance model:
   ```bash theme={null}
   ollama pull qwen3-vl
   ```
3. Configure Strix:
   ```bash theme={null}
   export STRIX_LLM="ollama/qwen3-vl"
   export LLM_API_BASE="http://localhost:11434"
   ```

### Recommended Models

We recommend these models for the best balance of reasoning and tool use:

**Recommended models:**

* **Qwen3 VL** (`ollama pull qwen3-vl`)
* **DeepSeek V3.1** (`ollama pull deepseek-v3.1`)
* **Devstral 2** (`ollama pull devstral-2`)

## LM Studio / OpenAI Compatible

If you use LM Studio, vLLM, or other runners:

```bash theme={null}
export STRIX_LLM="openai/local-model"
export LLM_API_BASE="http://localhost:1234/v1"  # Adjust port as needed
```