Tiny on-device LLMs in 2026: which sub-1B models are worth running on a Raspberry Pi, an old laptop, or a CPU-only box

Under 1GB of RAM you pick by task, not by benchmark. A 14MB tool-calling model beats a 1B chat model if all you need is tool calls. Here is the shortlist, the memory numbers, and where each one falls over.

September 12, 2026 · 11 min · 2304 words · AI Insights Lab