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Jan Desktop

by Jan@jandotaiNo ratings yet

Desktop app for chatting with local and cloud AI models

Visit docs.jan.ai
Tool type
Desktop AI chat app
Made for
Individuals and developers
Runs on
Mac, Windows, Linux desktop
Local models run on your machine; cloud models run on provider servers.
Last checked
29 Oct 2026
1 product sources

What it does

Jan Desktop is a desktop application for Mac, Windows, and Linux for chatting with AI models. It runs local models entirely on your machine, and it can also connect to cloud models from providers such as OpenAI and Anthropic using your own API key. Built-in web search and fetch tools let you ask about current events without extra setup.

Beyond chat, Jan lets you organize conversations into Projects with shared instructions and files, set up custom Assistants, run autonomous Agents, and extend the app with external tools through MCP Connectors. A Hub lets you browse and download local models and shows whether each fits your hardware. Cowork, currently in preview, lets you hand Jan a task it works through on its own.

Jan suits people who want private, offline chat on their own computer or a single interface for several model providers. The default model downloads automatically on first launch. Cloud models require a provider API key, and local model performance depends on your hardware.

What it can do

  • Local chat with models that run entirely on your machine
  • Cloud model access via provider API keys (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and more)
  • Built-in web search and fetch tools for current information
  • Projects for organizing conversations with shared instructions and files
  • Custom Assistants and autonomous Agents that read files and take actions
  • MCP Connectors to extend the app with external tools

Works with

  • OpenAI
  • Anthropic
  • Google
  • Exa MCP server

Before you choose

  • Cloud models need a provider API key; usage is billed by the provider.
  • Local models depend on your hardware; the Hub indicates which models fit your machine.
  • Cowork is labeled Preview and Agents are described as autonomous, so review their actions carefully.

Listed under

Get started

Install the app and let the default model download on first launch.

  1. Download and install Jan for Mac, Windows, or Linux, then launch it so the default model downloads.
  2. Browse the Hub from the left sidebar to download additional local models if desired.
  3. Optionally go to Settings > Model Providers, select a provider, and paste your API key to use cloud models.
Download Jan

Plans and prices

Cloud model usage is billed by the respective provider; verify any Jan cost on the official site.

We couldn’t find published prices for Jan Desktop.

Sources for this overview

Product pages, documentation, and pricing checked 29 Oct 2026. Each source supports part of the overview; availability and prices can change.

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What’s changed

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Data and security

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Where this comes from

How we research
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YC directory mirror
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Last checked 29 Oct 2026. Every field keeps its source and date; unknown means we couldn’t confirm it.