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Jan

LLMs

Jan is a free, open-source tool for running large language models locally, supporting 20+ open models such as Llama, Mistral, Phi-2, DeepSeek, and Yi for offline chat on your own computer. It offers a clean chat interface and an OpenAI-compatible built-in API server across Windows, Mac, and Linux.

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Editor's note

Best for developers and tech enthusiasts who value privacy and want local open models; not suitable for casual users who want instant cloud AI.

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CategoryLLMs
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What is Jan

Jan is a free, open-source tool for running large language models locally, supporting 20+ open models such as Llama, Mistral, Phi-2, DeepSeek, and Yi for offline chat on your own computer. It offers a clean chat interface and an OpenAI-compatible built-in API server across Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Key features of Jan

  • Chat with open-source models fully offline
  • Serve local inference via a compatible API
  • Deploy a private AI assistant on intranet
  • Compare multiple open models side by side

Good for

  • Completely free and open source; data stays local
  • Supports 20+ mainstream open models
  • Built-in OpenAI-compatible API server

Watch out

  • Large models demand capable local hardware
  • Model downloads consume significant disk space
  • Mobile apps are not yet available

How to use Jan

  1. Download the right version from the Jan website
  2. Install and launch the app
  3. Download a model from the built-in hub
  4. Click Use to activate the model
  5. Type in the chat window to start conversing

Who Jan is for

Difficulty: Intermediate

  • Chat with open-source models fully offline
  • Serve local inference via a compatible API
  • Deploy a private AI assistant on intranet
  • Compare multiple open models side by side

FAQ

Which models does Jan support?

Over 20 open models including Llama, Mistral, Phi-2, DeepSeek, and Yi, downloadable from the hub or imported manually.

Is Jan free?

Yes, Jan is free and open source, downloadable from the official site.

Can Jan be used for development?

Yes, it includes a local server compatible with the OpenAI API for model management and chat calls.

Sources and verification

Sources: jan.ai (opens in a new tab)
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