# Jan

> Open-source desktop app for running local and cloud AI models

Jan is an open-source desktop app from Menlo Research for chatting with AI models. It downloads and runs open models on your own computer, where they keep working offline, and it can also connect to cloud providers such as OpenAI and Anthropic with your own API key. The app adds projects, custom assistants, MCP connectors, built-in web search and a local OpenAI-compatible API server. It is free and licensed under Apache 2.0.

- **Category:** AI Assistants
- **Made by:** Menlo Research
- **Website:** https://www.jan.ai
- **Runs on:** macOS, Windows, Linux
- **Facts last checked:** Oct 5, 2026

## Pricing

Jan is free to use.

- **Pricing model:** Free
- **Free plan:** Jan is free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license, and no account is needed. Cloud models need an API key from the provider you connect.
- **Free trial:** None listed.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free | $0 | The full desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux, with local models, cloud provider connections and the local API server. |

Read from https://www.jan.ai/ on Oct 5, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Jan before buying.

## Key features

- **Local models:** Downloads and runs open models such as Llama, Gemma and Qwen from Hugging Face using llama.cpp or MLX. The Hub shows whether each model fits your hardware.
- **Cloud providers with your own key:** Connects to OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Mistral AI, Groq, OpenRouter and Azure OpenAI, or to any OpenAI- or Anthropic-compatible endpoint, using an API key you supply.
- **Built-in web search:** Web search and page fetch tools are on by default for models that support tool use. They run through a keyless Exa endpoint, so no API key or MCP server is needed.
- **Projects and assistants:** Projects group conversations under shared instructions and files, and custom assistants keep their own instructions for recurring kinds of work.
- **Local API server:** A built-in OpenAI-compatible server at localhost:1337 lets other applications use the models running in Jan, and Claude Code can be set to use them as its backend.
- **MCP connectors and Cowork preview:** MCP servers add tools such as code execution and databases. Cowork, which works through multi-step tasks on files and commands, ships only in nightly builds as a preview.

## Good for

- Running open models offline on your own computer
- People who want one desktop app for local and cloud models
- Developers who want a local OpenAI-compatible endpoint

## Worth knowing

- Desktop only, on macOS, Windows and Linux. Intel-based Macs are not supported.
- Local models need memory: Jan's Mac guide suggests 8GB of RAM for 3B models, 16GB for 7B models and 32GB for 13B models.
- Cloud models need your own API key from each provider, and those providers see the messages you send them.
- Cowork and the standalone Jan Agent are previews on nightly builds, and the memory feature is marked as coming soon.

## Works with

OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Mistral AI, Groq, OpenRouter, Hugging Face, Claude Code

**Tags:** Chat assistant, Open source, Works offline, Local-first, AI search, Public API, AI features

## Alternatives

- [LM Studio](https://toolgpa.com/tools/lm-studio): Desktop app for running open AI models on your own computer. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/jan-vs-lm-studio)
- [Msty](https://toolgpa.com/tools/msty): Private AI workspace for local and online models. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/jan-vs-msty)
- [AnythingLLM](https://toolgpa.com/tools/anythingllm): Open-source AI app for documents, agents and local models. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/anythingllm-vs-jan)
- [Open WebUI](https://toolgpa.com/tools/open-webui): Self-hosted chat interface for local and cloud AI models. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/jan-vs-open-webui)
- [Cherry Studio](https://toolgpa.com/tools/cherry-studio): Open-source desktop AI client for 50+ model providers. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/cherry-studio-vs-jan)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 5, 2026:

- https://www.jan.ai/
- https://www.jan.ai/docs/desktop
- https://www.jan.ai/docs/desktop/quickstart
- https://www.jan.ai/docs/desktop/install/mac
- https://www.jan.ai/docs/desktop/install/windows
- https://www.jan.ai/docs/desktop/web-search
- https://www.jan.ai/docs/desktop/api-server
- https://www.jan.ai/docs/desktop/cowork
- https://www.jan.ai/docs/desktop/privacy
- https://www.jan.ai/docs/desktop/integrations/claude-code
- https://www.jan.ai/docs/agent/quickstart
- https://github.com/janhq/jan

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/jan
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).