Jan

An open-source desktop app for running AI chat models fully offline on your computer.

Open sourceAI Chatbots & Assistantsby Menlo Research
Visit Jan (opens in a new tab)

What is Jan?

Jan is a free, open-source app that downloads and runs language models on your own machine. Your chats stay local, and you can also connect cloud models with your own API keys. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Best for: People who want a private, offline ChatGPT-style app.

What you can do with Jan

  1. Chat with a model without an internet connection

  2. Test different open models side by side

  3. Serve a local model to your own scripts

Key features

  • Runs open models offline
  • Optional cloud model connections
  • Local API server for other apps

Jan pros and cons

Pros

  • Free and open source
  • Keeps data on your device

Cons

  • Speed depends on your computer's hardware

Jan pricing

Open source

Jan is open source, so you can use it for free and run it yourself. Plans change often, so check the official site for current prices.

How to get started

  1. Open jan.ai and create a free account.
  2. Try one real task first: chat with a model without an internet connection.
  3. Compare the result with Open WebUI or HuggingChat, then keep the one that fits how you work.

Compare Jan

Side-by-side comparisons of features, pricing, pros and cons.

Jan alternatives

Other tools that do a similar job, ranked by our editors.

  • Open WebUI

    Open source

    A self-hosted, open-source chat interface for local and cloud AI models.

    AI Chatbots & AssistantsVisit

  • HuggingChat

    Open source

    A free chat interface for open-source AI models.

    AI Chatbots & AssistantsVisit

  • ChatGPT

    Free + PaidEditor's pick

    OpenAI's all-round assistant for writing, analysis, images and voice.

    AI Chatbots & AssistantsVisit

  • Claude

    Free + PaidEditor's pick

    Anthropic's assistant known for careful writing, long documents and coding.

    AI Chatbots & AssistantsVisit

  • Qwen Chat

    Free

    Alibaba's free assistant for chat, coding, image creation and document questions.

    AI Chatbots & AssistantsVisit

  • Kimi

    Free + Paid

    Moonshot AI's assistant that handles long documents, research and coding tasks.

    AI Chatbots & AssistantsVisit

Top AI chatbots

How Jan compares with the best in AI Chatbots & Assistants.

  1. 1. ChatGPT

    Free + Paid

    OpenAI's all-round assistant for writing, analysis, images and voice.

  2. 2. Claude

    Free + Paid

    Anthropic's assistant known for careful writing, long documents and coding.

  3. 3. Google Gemini

    Free + Paid

    Google's assistant, connected to Search, Gmail, Docs and Android.

  4. 4. Microsoft Copilot

    Free + Paid

    Microsoft's free assistant on the web, Windows and Edge.

  5. 5. Meta AI

    Free

    A free assistant inside WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and the web.

See all 20 AI chatbots

Jan FAQ

What is Jan?

Jan is a free, open-source app that downloads and runs language models on your own machine. Your chats stay local, and you can also connect cloud models with your own API keys. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Is Jan free?

Jan is open source, so you can use it for free and run it yourself. Check the official site for current limits and prices.

What can you do with Jan?

With Jan you can chat with a model without an internet connection; test different open models side by side; serve a local model to your own scripts.

Who is Jan best for?

People who want a private, offline ChatGPT-style app.

Does Jan have an app?

Yes. Besides its main version, Jan has apps for Windows, Mac and Linux.

Who makes Jan?

Jan is made by Menlo Research.

What are the best alternatives to Jan?

Popular alternatives include Open WebUI, HuggingChat, ChatGPT and Claude. See the full ranking on our AI Chatbots & Assistants page.

AltFTool is not affiliated with Jan. This summary was written by our editors from the tool's public information. Browse all 451 AI tools