Jan vs LMDeploy
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
LMDeploy
Toolkit for compressing and serving large language models
| Feature | Jan | LMDeploy |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Local LLM Runners | Local LLM Runners |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 8,192 MB | 16,384 MB |
| Deployment | binary, bare-metal | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 43,899 | ★ 7,998 |
| First released | 2023 | 2023 |
| Replaces | ChatGPT | OpenAI API, Hugging Face Inference Endpoints |
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 LMDeploy if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 8k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is Jan or LMDeploy better?
Jan is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider LMDeploy if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Jan and LMDeploy free and open-source?
Yes. Jan is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and LMDeploy under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Jan and LMDeploy with Docker?
Jan: check the project docs for container support. LMDeploy: yes.