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Home/Categories/AI & Machine Learning/Jan
icon of Jan

Jan

Open source alternative to ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot and Google Gemini for Workspace

Jan is an open source local AI chat app that runs LLMs entirely on your hardware: no internet connection, no cloud API, no data sent off-device. AGPL-3.0.

45K starsRustApache-2.0Active this week
Visit websiteGitHub repoDeployDeploy on Hostinger
image of Jan
Contents
  1. 01Who Jan is for
  2. 02The problem it solves
  3. 03How it solves it
  4. 04Strengths and trade-offs
  5. 05Jan vs alternatives
  6. 06Tech stack
  7. 07FAQ
  8. 08Similar open-source tools
TL;DR

Jan is a local AI desktop app for people who want a ChatGPT-style interface that can run models on their own computer. It supports local models, cloud provider connections, custom assistants, MCP, and an OpenAI-compatible local API.Apache-2.0 · Rust · 45K stars · Active this week

who it's for

Who Jan is for#

Privacy-minded users running local chat

Use Jan for private brainstorming, document work, and local model experiments on a personal machine.

Skip if:

You need the strongest hosted model with no local setup.

Developers testing local AI apps

Use the localhost OpenAI-compatible API to test apps against local models before using paid cloud APIs.

Skip if:

Your workflow requires managed team accounts and centralized admin controls.

the problem

The problem it solves#

Hosted AI chat is convenient, but sensitive prompts, documents, and experiments often should not leave the machine or depend on one provider account. Developers and privacy-minded users need a desktop AI workspace that can switch between local and cloud models.

how Jan solves it

How it solves it#

Local model chat

Jan downloads and runs models such as Llama, Gemma, Qwen, and GPT-OSS from Hugging Face on the user’s machine.

OpenAI-compatible local API

Jan exposes a local server at localhost:1337, letting other applications connect to local models through familiar API patterns.

Cloud and MCP support

The README lists OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, Groq, MiniMax, and MCP integration for workflows that need more than local chat.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

  • Private local AI workflowJan gives users a way to keep prompts and files local when the selected model runs on the machine.
  • Good bridge between local and cloud modelsUsers can start with local models and connect cloud providers when they need stronger hosted models.

Trade-offs

  • -Local model quality depends on hardwareA laptop may run small models well but struggle with larger models that hosted ChatGPT handles easily.
  • -License needs review before applyGitHub metadata does not expose a clean SPDX value in this environment, so ContentOps should verify the current license before publication.
versus alternatives

Jan vs alternatives#

Jan vs ChatGPT

Jan is better when users want local model execution, offline privacy, and an OpenAI-compatible local API on their own computer. ChatGPT is better for hosted model quality, broad multimodal features, and zero local setup. Jan fits privacy-sensitive users and developers experimenting with local LLM workflows.

tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages
JavaScriptPythonRustSwiftTypeScript
Frameworks
Next.jsReact
frequently asked

FAQ#

Can Jan replace ChatGPT?

Jan can replace ChatGPT for local or offline chat workflows. ChatGPT remains stronger for hosted model quality, account features, and broad multimodal polish.

Does Jan run models locally?

Yes. The README says Jan can download and run local LLMs and also connect to cloud providers.

Does Jan expose an API?

Yes. Jan provides an OpenAI-compatible local server at localhost:1337.

also worth a look

Similar open-source tools#

Thunderbolt

·4,794 GitHub stars

Control your AI infrastructure with Thunderbolt

Alternative toChatGPT

VibePad

·70 GitHub stars

Control your AI coding assistant with a gamepad, open source

Alternative toGitHub Copilot

LibreChat

·45,786 GitHub stars

One self-hosted interface for every AI model you use

Alternative toChatGPT

go-modern-guidelines

·3,819 GitHub stars

Modern Go idioms for every AI coding agent, free

Alternative toGitHub Copilot

Superlearn

·123 GitHub stars

Interactive study boards for any topic, no new subscription needed

Alternative toOpenAI Codex

garden-skills

·12,922 GitHub stars

Production-ready agent skills for Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex

Alternative toGitHub Copilot

Repository

Stars
45K
Forks
3.1K
License
Apache-2.0
Latest
v0.8.6
Last commit
1 day ago
Last verified
Oct 17, 2026
Repo
janhq/jan ↗

Additional details

Language
Rust
Open issues
588
Contributors
185
First release
2023

Categories

AI & Machine LearningLLMOps & AI ToolingBusiness & Productivity

Tags

LLMSelf HostedLLMOpsDeveloper ToolsChatbotsPrivacy Tools