Jan

What is Jan?

Jan is an open-source desktop app that works as a private alternative to ChatGPT. You download it for Windows, macOS or Linux, pick an open model such as Llama, Qwen, Gemma or DeepSeek, and chat with it on your own hardware, with no internet needed once the model is on disk. If you want more power, you can add API keys for cloud providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral or Groq and switch between local and cloud models in the same window. Jan also runs a local server with an OpenAI-compatible API on your machine, built on llama.cpp, so tools like Continue and Cline can connect to it. Conversations and files stay in a local data folder, and the project says it does not collect or sell your data. The code is released under the Apache 2.0 license, and a Memory feature is marked as coming soon. Jan has no subscription fee, and you pay only the cloud providers you choose to use.

Use cases

• Chat with local AI models offline
• Switch between local and cloud models
• Use a private ChatGPT alternative
• Try open models like Llama, Qwen and Gemma
• Serve a local OpenAI-compatible API
• Connect coding tools to a local model
• Import GGUF model files

Who it's for

• Privacy-conscious users
• Developers
• AI enthusiasts
• Students

Why use Jan

• Chats can stay on your device, since local models never send prompts to a remote server.
• You are not tied to one vendor because many models are available from one interface.
• There is no subscription fee, and the code is open for you to inspect.
• The local API lets developers point existing OpenAI-style tools at models on their own machine.

Jan features

• Run open models locally with llama.cpp
• Works offline once a model is downloaded
• Cloud model support through your own API keys
• Local OpenAI-compatible server on port 1337
• Import GGUF files or download models from Hugging Face
• Model parameter customization
• Local-only storage of chats and files
• Support for CPU and GPU hardware including NVIDIA CUDA and Vulkan
• Memory feature planned
• Open-source Apache 2.0 codebase

Jan integrations

• OpenAI
• Anthropic
• Mistral
• Groq
• Hugging Face
• Continue
• Cline

How to get started with Jan

1. Download Jan for your operating system from jan.ai.
2. Choose a model that fits your hardware, or add a cloud provider API key.
3. Start chatting in the app, and switch models to compare answers.
4. Optionally turn on the local server to use Jan's API from other tools.
5. Follow releases on GitHub for updates.

Jan limitations

• Local model speed and quality depend on your hardware
• Memory is marked as coming soon
• Cloud model usage is billed by the provider, not by Jan
• Using cloud models needs an internet connection and your own keys

Jan pricing

Jan is open source, so you can use and self-host it for free.

Prices can change and may vary by country or exclude tax. Check the official pricing page.

Jan alternatives

The main Jan alternatives listed on Debuly are LM Studio, Ollama, GPT4All, Open WebUI, ChatGPT and AnythingLLM. The table compares pricing and platforms; order is A–Z.

1. 

   AnythingLLM

   Open-source AI app for chatting with your documents and running agents, on desktop, in Docker or as a hosted team workspace.

   Chat assistantsAutomation and agentsDeveloper platforms
   Open sourceVisit AnythingLLM (official site)
2. 

   ChatGPT

   OpenAI's AI assistant for chat, writing, analysis, images, voice, deep research and coding across web, iOS and Android.

   Chat assistantsResearch and searchCodingWriting
   FreemiumVisit ChatGPT (official site)
3. 

   GPT4All

   Free, open source desktop app and Python client for running language models offline and privately on your own computer.

   Chat assistantsDeveloper platforms
   Open sourceVisit GPT4All (official site)
4. 

   LM Studio

   Desktop app for running open language models on your own computer, now with the Bionic agent, a local API and optional US-hosted cloud models.

   Chat assistantsDeveloper platformsCodingProductivity
   FreemiumVisit LM Studio (official site)
5. 

   Ollama

   Open-source app and CLI for running open AI models locally on macOS, Windows and Linux, with optional paid cloud models.

   Developer platformsCodingChat assistants
   Open sourceVisit Ollama (official site)
6. 

   Open WebUI

   Self-hosted AI chat platform for Ollama and OpenAI-compatible models with RAG, agents, tools, notes, channels and role-based access.

   Chat assistantsDeveloper platformsAutomation and agents
   Open sourceVisit Open WebUI (official site)

Jan FAQ

Sources & verification

Facts on this page come from the official sources below, each with the date we read it. Written by Debuly; the vendor did not review this page.

Image credits

• Logo: from jan.ai · fetched 24 Oct 2026 · Vendor trademark, used only to identify the product; removed on request
• Cover: none collected yet, so a generated tile is shown.

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