Quick Overview
Get the app ➜ Pick a model ➜ Start chatting ➜ Your data stays on your computer
What Is Jan?
Jan is an app that lets you chat with AI like ChatGPT, but everything happens offline on your own computer. No one is watching, no internet is needed, and your data stays with you.
- Free and open-source
- Works on Windows, Mac, and Linux
- Uses popular offline AI models like Mistral, LLaMA 3, and Gemma
- Looks and feels like ChatGPT
Download: https://jan.ai
Source Code: GitHub - menloresearch/jan: Jan is an open source alternative to ChatGPT that runs 100% offline on your computer
What You Can Do With It
- Chat with AI like you do with ChatGPT
- Ask questions or get help with anything
- Use it without internet
- Read and talk to your PDF or DOC files (test feature)
- Connect it with other apps through its local server
- Add tools and extras using extensions
- Try upcoming features like smart memory and assistants
Things to Know
- Older versions had bugs. Use version
v0.6.3or newer. - Even though it runs offline, it still opens a local server on your device. Don’t use it in public/shared systems without safety settings.
- If you use cloud models (optional), those chats might leave your device.
Simple Features Table
| Feature | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Chat offline | You don’t need internet |
| File chat (test) | Ask questions to your files |
| API server | Use Jan in your own apps |
| Extensions | Add cloud or tools if you want |
| Private | No account, no tracking |
Best Models to Use (For 2025)
| Model | Best For | RAM Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Mistral 7B | Smart answers | 8–12 GB |
| LLaMA 3 8B | Deep thinking | 12–16 GB |
| Gemma 2B | Fast and light tasks | 4–6 GB |
| DeepSeek | Coding + logic | 12–16 GB |
| Mixtral | Big answers, needs more RAM | 32 GB+ |
Use models in GGUF format. Jan helps you choose the right one.
Things Still in Progress
- File chat is still improving
- Memory and assistants coming soon
- Code plugins are available but not safe unless you know what you’re doing
Why People Like It
- No sign-up or login needed
- Data stays private
- Works without internet
- Looks nice and simple
- Easy to change and add features
You Can Use Jan For:
- Studying or writing offline
- Talking to documents
- Safe, private AI chats
- Building your own bots or tools
- Connecting to apps like VSCode or Notion
What’s Private?
- Jan doesn’t send anything to the cloud
- No prompt logs
- No ads, no account, no tracking
- If you use online models, those may track (but it tells you clearly)
Where to Start
- Download App: https://jan.ai
Help Docs: Jan - Jan
Chat Group: Discord- Privacy Info: Privacy - Jan
- Find Models: https://jan.ai/models
- Security Report: https://www.securityweek.com/vulnerabilities-expose-jan-ai-systems-to-remote-manipulation/
Watch It in Action
- Bringing AI to Your Desktop (YouTube)
Final Note
Jan doesn’t sell your data. It doesn’t even ask who you are. It’s not perfect, but it’s yours. If you want private, offline AI, it’s one of the best simple tools out there.
!