# Jan 0.8.7: what's new, verdict & setup Canonical: https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/jan · Released: 2026-10-20 · Last verified: 2026-10-25 · Evidence: Reported (not run by us) · Vendor: Menlo Research · Official site: https://jan.ai/ > Open-source alternative to ChatGPT that runs open models locally or connects to cloud models like GPT and Claude. ## Verdict **Open-source alternative to ChatGPT that runs open models locally or connects to cloud models like GPT and Claude.** Good for: - People who want a private local chat app - Users who want one app for local and cloud models Skip if: - You need a hosted multi-user team product Status: Reported. Written from official release notes and docs; we have not run this release ourselves. Pricing: Partly verified. No pricing page read. (checked 2026-10-25) ## Best for - [Best AI tool for local LLM tools and model platforms](https://theagenticweekly.com/best/llm-platforms) (#-): Open-source ChatGPT-style desktop app for local and cloud models. ## Key facts Jan's site describes an open-source ChatGPT alternative that runs open models locally or connects to online models and remembers your context. The repository's license file is Apache-2.0 and release 0.8.7 was tagged Oct 20, 2026. - License: Apache-2.0 (per LICENSE file) - Platforms: Desktop app - Pricing model: Free and open source - Free tier: Free; cloud model use is paid to the provider you connect - Paid plans: None listed - GitHub: janhq/jan: 45,086 stars on 2026-10-25, last push 2026-10-26 - Latest release we saw: 0.8.7, 2026-10-20 - How to start: Download Jan from jan.ai and choose an open model or connect a cloud provider. - 0.8.7 (2026-10-20): the newest release listed on the official page or repository when we read it on 2026-10-25. ## How to set it up: Get started with Jan These steps come from the vendor's own pages as read on 2026-10-25. We have not run Jan. 1. **Get access.** Download Jan from jan.ai and choose an open model or connect a cloud provider. 2. **Check the limits and costs first.** Free; cloud model use is paid to the provider you connect. No pricing page read. ## Pros and cons Pros: - Open source - Works with cloud and local models Cons: - Hardware limits local model size ## Alternatives - [Ollama](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/ollama): The common way to run open models locally on macOS, Windows and Linux, with a cloud option and an MIT-licensed open-source core. - [LM Studio](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/lm-studio): Desktop app for running open models locally; the homepage now leads with Bionic, an agent for work and code. - [Open WebUI](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/open-webui): Self-hosted AI platform: a web interface that connects to Ollama and OpenAI-compatible models, under its own Open WebUI License. - [Cohere](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/cohere): Enterprise AI company: Command models, Rerank and the North platform. - [DeepSeek](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/deepseek): Model API that works with the OpenAI and Anthropic SDK formats and can back agent tools such as Claude Code, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode. - [Hugging Face](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/hugging-face): The hub where the ML community shares models, datasets and apps, with PRO, Team and Enterprise tiers. - [LiteLLM](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/litellm): Python SDK and proxy that gives one OpenAI-style interface to many model providers. - [llama.cpp](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/llama-cpp): LLM inference in C/C++: the open-source engine many local-model tools build on; MIT-licensed with near-daily build tags. - [OpenRouter](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/openrouter): Unified API to many models with fallbacks; a Free tier with 25+ free models and 4 free providers. - [Replicate](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/replicate): Cloud API for running and fine-tuning open models, with per-use pricing. - [Together AI](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/together-ai): AI cloud for open models: serverless inference, fine-tuning and GPU clusters, priced per token. - [GPT4All](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/gpt4all): Local chatbot from Nomic that runs open-source models on your device; the latest GitHub release we saw is v3.10.0 from Feb 2025. ## FAQ ### What is Jan? Jan's site describes an open-source ChatGPT alternative that runs open models locally or connects to online models and remembers your context. The repository's license file is Apache-2.0 and release 0.8.7 was tagged Oct 20, 2026. ### Is Jan free? Free; cloud model use is paid to the provider you connect. No pricing page read. Checked 2026-10-25; prices change, so confirm on the vendor's page. ### What license is Jan under? Its license: Apache-2.0 (per LICENSE file). Read from the project's own pages on 2026-10-25. ## What we have not verified - Performance by model ## Sources - [Jan](https://jan.ai/) (fetched 2026-10-25) - [Jan repository (GitHub)](https://github.com/janhq/jan) (fetched 2026-10-25) ## How to cite Agentic Weekly, "Jan 0.8.7: what's new, verdict & setup", last updated 2026-10-25, https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/jan Keep the Reported or Tested label when you quote the verdict.