Compare Jan alternatives
| Tool | Stars | Forks | License | Self-hosted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Open WebUI | 139.6K | 20K | BSD-3-Clause | Yes |
 LobeChat | 78.1K | 15.4K | Apache-2.0 | Yes |
 AnythingLLM | 60.9K | 6.6K | MIT | Yes |
 Cherry Studio | 46.7K | 4.4K | AGPL-3.0 | Yes |
Jan is a proprietary-adjacent but already free desktop app for running AI models locally — it's actually open source itself (Apache-2.0). People searching for alternatives to Jan are usually comparing local-AI desktop apps, since several open-source options solve the same "run models on your own machine, keep data private" problem with different trade-offs in interface and features.
If you want a broader plugin ecosystem and multi-model chat, LobeChat and Open WebUI are strong alternatives. Cherry Studio is the closer match if you specifically want a native desktop client rather than a self-hosted web app, and AnythingLLM is the better pick if your main use case is chatting with your own documents.
FAQ
Is there a free, open-source alternative to Jan?
Yes — and Jan itself is already open source. LobeChat, Open WebUI, Cherry Studio, and AnythingLLM are all free, open-source local AI apps as well.
What's the best open-source alternative to Jan?
Cherry Studio is closest to Jan's native desktop-app experience. Open WebUI is the better pick if you want a self-hosted web interface accessible from multiple devices instead.
What are the top open-source alternatives to Jan?
Browse all open-source alternatives to Jan above, or explore the full Local AI category for more options.