Jan vs LiteLLM
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted local llm runners options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Jan
Open-source offline ChatGPT alternative for the desktop
VS
LiteLLM
Unified proxy and gateway for 100+ LLM APIs
| Feature | Jan | LiteLLM |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Local LLM Runners | Local LLM Runners |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 8,192 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | binary, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 43,899 | ★ 55,843 |
| First released | 2023 | 2023 |
| Replaces | ChatGPT | OpenRouter |
Why pick each one
Choose Jan if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 43.9k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
Choose LiteLLM if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 55.8k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Jan or LiteLLM better?
Neither is universally better. LiteLLM has the larger community, while Jan is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Jan and LiteLLM free and open-source?
Yes. Jan is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and LiteLLM under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Jan and LiteLLM with Docker?
Jan: check the project docs for container support. LiteLLM: yes.