Jan
AI Chat & AssistantsAn open-source local AI chat app. Connect to GPT-4o and Claude via cloud APIs, or easily run local LLMs like Llama and Mistral through a beautiful GUI. Privacy-first design.
Table of Contents
What is Jan?
Jan is a local-first, open-source AI chat application. With a beautiful, intuitive ChatGPT-style UI, you can download and run local LLMs (Llama 3, Mistral, Phi, etc.) with one click, and also connect to cloud APIs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and others for a unified AI chat experience. Jan's greatest feature is making local LLM usage extremely easy. Download any model from the built-in model hub with a single click and start chatting immediately. The llama.cpp-based inference engine allows CPU-only operation (GPU acceleration available for faster performance). All conversation data is stored locally for complete privacy. An OpenAI-compatible local API server is built in, letting other applications call Jan's models. The extension system also allows adding custom tools and integrations.
Pricing Plans
Key Features
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ●One-click download and run for local LLMs
- ●Beautiful, intuitive ChatGPT-style UI
- ●Complete data privacy with all data stored locally
- ●Runs on CPU only (no GPU required)
- ●Also supports cloud APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.)
- ●OpenAI-compatible local API server built in
Cons
- ●Local LLM quality is below GPT-4o and Claude
- ●High-performance models require a powerful PC
- ●UI is English-only with no Japanese localization
- ●Extension ecosystem is still developing
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the difference between Jan and Ollama?
A. Ollama is a command-line focused local LLM runtime, while Jan is a chat app with a graphical UI. Jan's strength is its accessibility for non-technical users. You can also use Ollama as a backend.
Q. Can I use Jan without a GPU?
A. Yes, it runs on CPU only. Lightweight models like Phi-3 Mini can chat comfortably on a PC with just 8GB of RAM. However, a GPU is recommended for running large models (70B+ parameters).
Q. Is my data uploaded to the cloud?
A. No, Jan follows a local-first design where all conversation and model data is stored on your PC. Data is only sent to a provider's servers when using cloud APIs.
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