Open-source desktop AI chat application that runs 100% offline with support for local and cloud-connected models.
Why it matters now: 43k-star open-source desktop app: fully private, offline-first, with 5.3M downloads and no tracking.
Jan is a privacy-first, open-source desktop application (AGPLv3 licensed) that positions itself as a local-first alternative to ChatGPT and Claude. Built by Menlo Research in Singapore, Jan emphasizes user control: all data stays on your device unless explicitly connected to cloud providers via API keys. The application supports running local GGUF models, connecting to cloud APIs, browser-based extensions, and integrates Model Context Protocol (MCP) for local tool use. By July 2026, Jan had accumulated 43,600+ GitHub stars and 5.3 million downloads.
Jan’s development cadence reflects open-source conventions. Early 2025 focused on workspace organization and vision model improvements. Mid-2026 introduced AMD GPU support on Linux, improved reasoning/tool-use chains, artifact previews, and video input for vision models.
Jan’s strength is ideological alignment: fully open-source, no telemetry, no account required. For users whose primary concern is local privacy and code auditability, Jan is compelling, accepting the trade-off of a smaller ecosystem than Ollama and less enterprise tooling than LM Studio.
Minimum: 8 GB RAM, dual-core x86-64 CPU or Apple A12 Bionic+, 4 GB SSD space. GPU optional (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel Arc), beneficial for models above 3B parameters. OS: Windows 10+, macOS 12.6+, Ubuntu 22.04+.