Jan
Jan is an AI chat application that runs 100% offline on your desktop and (soon) on mobile. Our goal is to make it easy for anyone, with or without coding skills, to download and use AI models with full control and privacy (opens in a new tab).
Jan is powered by Llama.cpp (opens in a new tab), a local AI engine that provides an OpenAI-compatible
API that can run in the background by default at https://localhost:1337 (or your custom port). This enables you to power all sorts of
applications with AI capabilities from your laptop/PC. For example, you can connect local tools like Continue (opens in a new tab)
and Cline (opens in a new tab) to Jan and power them using your favorite models.
Jan doesn't limit you to locally hosted models, meaning, you can create an API key from your favorite model provider, add it to Jan via the configuration's page and start talking to your favorite models.
Features
- Download popular open-source LLMs (Llama3, Gemma3, Qwen3, and more) from the HuggingFace Model Hub or import any GGUF files (the model format used by llama.cpp) available locally
- Connect to cloud services (OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, Groq, etc.)
- Chat with AI models & customize their parameters via our intuitive interface
- Use our local API server (opens in a new tab) with an OpenAI-equivalent API to power other apps.
Philosophy
Jan is built to be user-owned, this means that Jan is:
- Truly open source via the Apache 2.0 license (opens in a new tab)
- Data is stored locally, following one of the many local-first principles (opens in a new tab)
- Internet is optional, Jan can run 100% offline
- Free choice of AI models, both local and cloud-based
- We do not collect or sell user data. See our Privacy Policy.
You can read more about our philosophy here.
Inspirations
Jan is inspired by the concepts of Calm Computing (opens in a new tab), and the Disappearing Computer.
Acknowledgements
Jan is built on the shoulders of many open-source projects like:
FAQs
What is Jan?
Jan is a customizable AI assistant that can run offline on your computer - a privacy-focused alternative to tools like ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude, and Google Gemini, with optional cloud AI support.
How do I get started with Jan?
Download Jan on your computer, download a model or add API key for a cloud-based one, and start chatting. For detailed setup instructions, see our Quick Start guide.
Is Jan compatible with my system?
How does Jan protect my privacy?
Jan prioritizes privacy by:
- Running 100% offline with locally-stored data
- Using open-source models that keep your conversations private
- Storing all files and chat history on your device in the Jan Data Folder
- Never collecting or selling your data
When using third-party cloud AI services through Jan, their data policies apply. Check their privacy terms.
You can optionally share anonymous usage statistics to help improve Jan, but your conversations are never shared. See our complete Privacy Policy.
What models can I use with Jan?
- Download optimized models from the Jan Hub
- Import GGUF models from Hugging Face or your local files
- Connect to cloud providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral and Groq (requires your own API keys)
Is Jan really free? What's the catch?
Jan is completely free and open-source with no subscription fees for local models and features. When using cloud-based models (like GPT-4o or Claude Sonnet 3.7), you'll only pay the standard rates to those providers—we add no markup.
Can I use Jan offline?
Yes! Once you've downloaded a local model, Jan works completely offline with no internet connection needed.
How can I contribute or get community help?
- Join our Discord community (opens in a new tab) to connect with other users
- Contribute through GitHub (opens in a new tab) (no permission needed!)
- Get troubleshooting help in our Discord (opens in a new tab) channel #🆘|jan-help (opens in a new tab)
- Check our Troubleshooting guide for common issues
Can I self-host Jan?
Yes! We fully support the self-hosted movement. Either download Jan directly or fork it on GitHub repository (opens in a new tab) and build it from source.
What does Jan stand for?
Jan stands for "Just a Name". We are, admittedly, bad at marketing 😂.
Are you hiring?
Yes! We love hiring from our community. Check out our open positions at Careers (opens in a new tab).