Enchanted vs Jan
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted local llm runners options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Enchanted | Jan |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 85 · Excellent | 99 · Excellent |
| Category | Local LLM Runners | Local LLM Runners |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Swift | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 8,192 MB |
| Deployment | binary | binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,002 | ★ 44,612 |
| First released | 2024 | 2023 |
| Replaces | ChatGPT | ChatGPT |
What are Enchanted and Jan?
Enchanted
Enchanted is an open-source, privacy-focused app that connects to a self-hosted Ollama server from Apple devices. It provides a native chat experience for private local models on the go.
- Native Apple app
- Connects to private Ollama
- Conversation history
- Prompt completions
Jan
Jan is a desktop application that runs large language models fully offline on your computer. It provides a clean chat interface, a local API server, and the ability to connect to remote providers when desired.
- Fully offline by default
- Built-in local API server
- Model hub browser
- Privacy focused
Enchanted vs Jan: key differences
Enchanted is written in Swift, while Jan is built with Rust. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Enchanted versus AGPL-3.0 for Jan. Enchanted is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 8,192 MB for Jan. Jan has the considerably larger community, at 44,612 GitHub stars versus 6,002.
Why pick each one
Choose Enchanted if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 6k GitHub stars
- Written in Swift
Choose Jan if…
- Polished desktop interface
- Fully offline chat
- Local API server included
Watch out for
- Single-user desktop focus
- Large models need RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Enchanted or Jan better?
Neither is universally better. Jan has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Enchanted and Jan free and open-source?
Yes. Enchanted is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Jan under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Enchanted and Jan with Docker?
Enchanted: check the project docs for container support. Jan: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Enchanted or Jan?
Enchanted has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 8,192 MB for Jan. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.