Question 1

How can an AI model run directly in a browser?

Accepted Answer

Modern browsers support WebGPU, a new API that gives web apps direct access to your GPU. Combined with 4-bit quantization that shrinks models by ~8x, and WebAssembly for near-native performance, it's now possible to run models with billions of parameters right in a browser tab.

Question 2

What hardware do I need to run LLMs in my browser?

Accepted Answer

A device with a modern GPU that supports WebGPU. Most recent laptops and desktops with Chrome 113+, Edge 113+, or Safari 18.2+ will work. Smaller models (1-3B parameters) run on most machines, while larger models (7B+) need a dedicated GPU with 6+ GB VRAM.

Question 3

Is my data really private when using BrowserLLM?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All inference happens locally on your device. No data is sent to any server - there is no server. Your conversations are stored only in your browser's local storage. You can verify this by going offline after the first model download - everything still works.

Question 4

How does BrowserLLM compare to ChatGPT or Claude?

Accepted Answer

Cloud-based models like GPT-4 or Claude are more powerful for complex reasoning tasks. BrowserLLM trades some capability for complete privacy, zero cost, offline access, and no accounts needed. For many everyday tasks - writing, coding help, brainstorming - local models are more than capable.

Question 5

Do I need to download the model every time?

Accepted Answer

No. Models are cached in your browser's Cache API after the first download. Subsequent visits load the model from local cache in seconds. You can also install BrowserLLM as a PWA for a native app-like experience.

Question 6

Which AI models are available on BrowserLLM?

Accepted Answer

Over 100 models from families like Llama, Qwen, Phi, Gemma, Mistral, DeepSeek, SmolLM, and more. Models range from tiny 135M parameter models to 70B parameter powerhouses. You can filter by category (general, coding, math, reasoning), size, and hardware compatibility.

Question 7

Is BrowserLLM really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes, forever. There are no API keys, no subscriptions, no per-token charges. The computation happens on your own GPU. The app is open-source and can be self-hosted.