Jan
Jan is an open-source, local-first AI chat app that works as a private ChatGPT replacement.
Jan
Open-source, local-first ChatGPT alternative
What is Jan?
How to use Jan?
- 1Download Jan for your operating system from the official releases page.
- 2Install and open the desktop app.
- 3Choose a model source, such as a local open model or a supported online provider.
- 4Configure providers in settings if you want to use external models.
- 5Start chatting and optionally enable features like web search or memory where available.
Jan Key Features
- Open-source desktop AI chat app
- Local-first private usage
- Supports open models and online model providers
- Polished native interface
- Web search support
- Memory features for context carryover
- MCP support
- Available for Mac and other desktop platforms via releases
Jan Use Cases
- Private everyday chatting with AI
- Running local models on your own machine
- Testing open-source LLMs in a friendly UI
- Using supported hosted models in one app
- Research tasks with web search enabled
- Personal productivity and note-like assistance
Jan Pricing & Free Credits
Jan currently operates on a Free model.
Jan Pros & Cons
Pros
- Open source and privacy-focused
- Supports local models
- Clean, native desktop experience
- Works with multiple model providers
- Includes web search and memory features
Cons
- Feature availability may vary by provider or model setup
- Requires some setup for local models and provider connections
- Primarily a desktop app rather than a web-only service
What is Jan best for?
- Users who want a private AI chat app
- People running local LLMs on their own machine
- Developers and enthusiasts testing open models
- Anyone seeking an open-source ChatGPT alternative
Jan FAQ
Top free alternatives to Jan
Meta's AI hub for Meta AI products, Vibes, AI Studio, and research on models, tools, and superintelligence.
ERNIE is Baidu's AI assistant for chat, writing, document work, image creation, and translation.
Uncensored AI is an AI model hub and chat platform offering access to multiple major models, including uncensored variants, plus a private-beta API.
Kindroid is a personal AI companion that listens, remembers conversations, and can chat by text, voice, and avatar-like presence.
A community library for discovering, sharing, and discussing ChatGPT prompts and AI character experiences.
Mammouth AI is a multi-model AI platform that brings major text, image, and video models together in one subscription.
