Local AI
Jan
A free desktop app for chatting with AI that runs on your own computer
★ 44k
August 2026
Apache-2.0
Local AI
What we checked ourselves
Not copied from the project's own blurb. These are things we opened and verified, with the date.
- 23 Aug 2026We checked that the link to the project still resolves.
- 14 Aug 2026We read the licence text itself (LICENSE). No unusual restrictions were stated.
- 30 Aug 2026We read the project's own documentation and found no sign that development has stopped.
Where this sits among the 49 tools we list in Local AI
- Works without using a terminal29 of 49
- No API key required47 of 49
- Keeps your data on your own machine36 of 49
- Commercial use confirmed as allowed33 of 49
Only 11 of the 49 meet all of the conditions above.
Counted from our own checks: every tool we list is examined against the same criteria.
What it does
Gives you a ChatGPT-style chat window as an installable desktop app. Download a model once and it runs entirely on your machine, so conversations work offline and nothing you type leaves the computer. It can also connect out to hosted services such as OpenAI, Anthropic or Mistral using your own API keys, in which case the privacy benefit no longer applies. Installers are provided for Windows, macOS and Linux; local models need roughly 8GB of RAM for small ones and 16-32GB for larger ones.
Summary based on the project's own description. The Japanese page has a fuller beginner guide: setup difficulty, what to prepare, and a step-by-step start.
Screenshots & visuals
Before you start
- Setup difficultyEasy to start
- Command lineNot required
- API keyNot required
- Sends data onlineNo
Judged automatically from the project's own metadata. Always confirm on the official page.
Jan FAQ
- Is Jan free?
- The source is open, but the build distributed through the app store may be a paid download. Check the store listing before installing.
- Do I need to install anything or write code to use Jan?
- You install it like a normal desktop app. No command line involved.
- Does Jan work on a phone?
- No. It needs a computer.
- Can Jan run offline?
- Yes. Everything happens on your own machine, so your data is never sent to an outside server. That makes it usable for material you cannot share externally.
- Can I use Jan commercially?
- The licence is Apache-2.0, which permits commercial use. Conditions such as keeping the copyright notice still apply, so read the licence text before shipping it inside something.
How it compares
The conditions that decide whether you can actually use it, side by side.
| Tool | Command line | API key | Sends data out | Phone | Commercial use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan (this page) | Not needed | Not needed | No | No | Yes |
| GPT4All | Not needed | Not needed | No | No | Yes |
| Atomic-Chat | Not needed | Not needed | No | No | Not verified |
| locally-uncensored | Not needed | Not needed | No | No | Yes |
"Sends data out" means your input is uploaded to someone's server. Pick "No" when the material cannot leave your organisation.