Jan AIOpen-source desktop app for running local LLMs with full privacy and offline access.

4.2 (5)

Reviewed by Daniel Nikulshyn·Updated July 2026

Open Source Local LLM Desktop App Privacy Offline Cross-Platform Developer Tools

Overview

Jan is an open-source desktop application that allows users to run local large language models (LLMs) with full privacy and offline access. It is designed to provide a personal intelligence system that answers only to the user. The app offers a range of features, including the ability to choose from open models or plug in favorite online models, such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Llama, and more. Jan also has a memory feature that remembers the user's context and preferences, allowing for a more personalized experience. The application has gained significant traction, with over 4 million downloads, and is available for free as a Mac download. It is built in public, reflecting the developers' belief that AI should be open and grow through community involvement.

Key features

Local LLM inference on personal devices
Built-in model hub and downloader
Chat interface with conversation history
Optional connections to remote AI providers
Extension and API support for customization
Offline mode with no telemetry by default

Pricing

Model: Free
Category: Productivity
Rating: 4.2 / 5 (5)

Use cases

Private offline AI chat

Chat with large language models entirely on your own machine, keeping sensitive conversations and documents off the cloud with no telemetry by default.

Experiment with open-source models

Browse, download, and switch between open-source LLMs via the built-in model hub to compare outputs and find the best fit for your tasks.

Hybrid local and cloud workflows

Use local inference for private work and optionally connect to remote providers like OpenAI when you need more powerful models for specific tasks.

Custom AI tooling for developers

Leverage extension and API support to build custom integrations, automate workflows, or embed Jan's local LLM capabilities into developer pipelines.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Fully local execution keeps data private
Open-source and self-hostable
Cross-platform support for Windows, macOS, and Linux
Works with many open models and optional cloud APIs

Cons

Performance depends on local hardware
Larger models require significant RAM and disk space
Setup can be technical for non-developers

Reviews

4.2

Average from 5 ratings.

Grace Okafor

Jan 13, 2026

Years in this space

I've evaluated a lot of these over the years. What stands out here is extension and API support for customization — handled better than most — and works with many open models and optional cloud APIs. Larger models require significant RAM and disk space is my one real gripe. Worth the time if this is your use case.

Naomi Suzuki

Nov 2, 2025

Years in this space

I've evaluated a lot of these over the years. What stands out here is offline mode with no telemetry by default — handled better than most — and fully local execution keeps data private. Setup can be technical for non-developers is my one real gripe. Worth the time if this is your use case.

Jamal Carter

Oct 23, 2025

Compared a few options

Evaluated this against two competitors. Where it wins: extension and API support for customization and open-source and self-hostable. On balance the feature set — especially local LLM inference on personal devices — justifies the 5 stars for our use case.

Hannah Goldberg

Sep 7, 2025

Solid for our team

We rolled this out across the team last quarter and open-source and self-hostable. Optional connections to remote AI providers fits neatly into how we already work, and chat interface with conversation history removed a step we used to do by hand. Performance depends on local hardware, which is the main caveat, but it has held up under daily use.

Gunnar Eriksson

Sep 1, 2025

Compared a few options

Evaluated this against two competitors. Where it wins: local LLM inference on personal devices and cross-platform support for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Where it lags: setup can be technical for non-developers. On balance the feature set — especially built-in model hub and downloader — justifies the 4 stars for our use case.

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