Jan vs Serge
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 | Serge |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 99 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Local LLM Runners | Local LLM Runners |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Rust | Svelte |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 8,192 MB | 8,192 MB |
| Deployment | binary, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 44,630 | ★ 5,708 |
| First released | 2023 | 2023 |
| Replaces | ChatGPT | ChatGPT |
What are Jan and Serge?
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
Serge
Serge is a self-hosted chat interface for running LLaMA-family models entirely offline. It bundles llama.cpp with a clean web UI and requires no remote APIs or accounts.
- No API keys required
- Bundled llama.cpp
- Simple Docker deploy
- Fully offline
Jan vs Serge: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Serge's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Jan is actively maintained. Jan is written in Rust, while Serge is built with Svelte. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Jan versus Apache-2.0 for Serge. Jan has the considerably larger community, at 44,630 GitHub stars versus 5,708. Serge lists first-class Docker deployment; Jan does not.
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 Serge if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 5.7k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Jan or Serge 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 Serge free and open-source?
Yes. Jan is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Serge under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Jan and Serge with Docker?
Jan: check the project docs for container support. Serge: yes.