Jan
Jan is the privacy-first desktop assistant: open source, fully offline by default, telemetry off, no account required. It bundles a local engine, a clean chat interface and a local API server into one install, so private AI works out of the box rather than after configuration.
Its auditability is the differentiator for the cautious: the code is open, the defaults are conservative, and nothing needs to leave the machine.
The trade is ecosystem maturity: tool support and integrations trail the mainstream, and capability follows the local models your hardware can run.
- Cost
- Free
- Ease
- Beginner-friendly
- Model
- Runs privately (self-hostable)
- Checked
- July 2026
Prices, plans and model versions change fast: this is a mid-2026 snapshot; check the tool's official site for the latest.
Best for
- Fully offline chat with conservative defaults
- Open-source auditability end to end
- No account, no telemetry, no cloud dependency
- A local API server bundled with the chat
- Privacy-first users starting with local AI
Less suited to
Function-calling and tool ecosystems are less mature than the mainstream assistants, and integrations are thinner: it optimises for privacy, not breadth.
As with all local tools, hardware bounds capability: modest machines run modest models.
Costs & data, in short
Free and open source; runs on your own hardware.
Offline by default with no account required; the strongest simple privacy posture in the category as long as optional cloud features stay off.
In practice
How Jan is used, area by area.
Getting started
Jan is the gentlest serious start for a beginner whose first requirement is privacy. It bundles a local engine, a clean chat interface and a local API server in one install, defaults telemetry off, needs no account and is open source under a permissive licence, so private AI works out of the box and you can paste anything and experiment freely because nothing leaves the machine. It suits a decent laptop and some patience for less capability than the hosted frontier. The trade is exactly that: capability follows the local models your hardware can run, and the tool ecosystem trails the mainstream, so anyone needing indexed document RAG, voice or the most polished model-browsing GUI will look to the specialised local tools instead.
Example tasks
- Chat with a capable model entirely offline
- Try local AI without creating any account
- Draft and summarise with nothing leaving the machine
- Download and switch models from the built-in library
- Learn what local models can do before spending anything
Limits
You need indexed document RAG, voice or an MCP server (Jan's scope is chat), or you want the most polished model-browsing GUI (LM Studio).
Compares
Private, local & self-hosted
Jan is the local assistant for people who want privacy without ceremony. Open source end to end, offline by default, no account and no telemetry: install it and a local model chats like the cloud assistants do, with hybrid cloud use available only if you choose it, and its conservative, auditable defaults are the differentiator for the cautious. It is for anyone wanting a private ChatGPT-style assistant with the least possible friction. Its simplicity is also its ceiling: team deployments and always-on serving outgrow a desktop app towards server stacks, power users wanting maximum tuning may prefer the knob-heavy tools, and capability tracks the local models your hardware can run.
Example tasks
- Run a fully offline assistant with defaults you can trust
- Audit the code behind your private AI stack
- Serve a local API for other applications
- Keep sensitive drafting entirely on your own hardware
- Switch local models as the open ecosystem improves
Limits
Team deployments and always-on serving outgrow a desktop app toward server stacks, and users wanting maximum local performance tuning may prefer the power-user tools. Jan optimises for safe defaults over knobs.
Compares
| vs | Pick Jan when | Pick the other when |
|---|---|---|
| LM StudioFull comparison → | Jan is the privacy-first choice without ceremony, open source end to end, offline by default, with no account, no telemetry and a local API server bundled into one install | you want the deeper model browser, visual discovery and tuning controls of the power-user desktop app |
Where to start
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Five quick questions about your job, task and constraints. We'll suggest your top three tools, plus the one to try first.
Alternatives
Same category, different strengths.
Where it fits
Explore this tool in context.
For your job
By task
Common questions
What is Jan best at?
Jan is strongest for fully offline chat with conservative defaults; open-source auditability end to end; no account, no telemetry, no cloud dependency; A local API server bundled with the chat; privacy-first users starting with local AI.
What is Jan not good for?
Function-calling and tool ecosystems are less mature than the mainstream assistants, and integrations are thinner: it optimises for privacy, not breadth. As with all local tools, hardware bounds capability: modest machines run modest models.
Is Jan free?
Yes: Jan is free to use.
Where does Jan fit best?
Jan fits best in Getting started and Private, local & self-hosted; see its practice notes for how.
Before sharing confidential or personal data, check this tool's data-governance and training policies. They differ between providers and can change.
Last checked: July 2026