Jan vs LM Studio
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted local llm runners options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Jan | LM Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Local LLM Runners | Local LLM Runners |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Proprietary |
| Language | Rust | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 8,192 MB | 8,192 MB |
| Deployment | binary, bare-metal | binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 44,630 | ★ 5,000 |
| First released | 2023 | 2023 |
| Replaces | ChatGPT | ChatGPT |
What are Jan and LM Studio?
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
LM Studio
LM Studio is a desktop application for finding, downloading, and running local large language models with a friendly interface. It includes a local inference server and developer SDKs, though the application itself is closed-source freeware.
- Visual model browser
- Local OpenAI-compatible server
- GGUF and MLX support
- Built-in chat UI
Jan vs LM Studio: key differences
Jan is written in Rust, while LM Studio is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Jan versus Proprietary for LM Studio. Jan has the considerably larger community, at 44,630 GitHub stars versus 5,000.
Why pick each one
Choose Jan if…
- Polished desktop interface
- Fully offline chat
- Local API server included
Watch out for
- Single-user desktop focus
- Large models need RAM
Choose LM Studio if…
- Released under the Proprietary license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 5k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Jan or LM Studio 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 Jan and LM Studio free and open-source?
Yes. Jan is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and LM Studio under Proprietary. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Jan and LM Studio with Docker?
Jan: check the project docs for container support. LM Studio: check the project docs for container support.