Jan vs LM Studio
Both are desktop apps for chatting with local models; Jan is Apache-2.0 open source, LM Studio is closed source.
Pick Jan if…
You want open-source code you can inspect, and an app that also connects to cloud providers with your own keys.
Pick LM Studio if…
You prefer LM Studio's model browser and official requirement guidance, and don't need the app's source code.
Price
- Free
- Open source
- Freemium
Starting price
Free plan
Open source
Works on
| Feature | Open-source desktop app for running AI models locally, with optional connections to cloud model providers. | Desktop app for downloading, chatting with and serving open AI models on your own computer. |
|---|---|---|
| Price |
|
|
| Starting price | — | $20 USD/month (Bionic+, optional cloud models) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Works on | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Try Jan (opens the Jan website in a new tab) | Try LM Studio (opens the LM Studio website in a new tab) |
Jan and LM Studio are both free graphical apps that download and run open models locally and expose a local API server. Both are available on macOS, Windows and Linux.
Jan's GitHub repository is licensed Apache-2.0 and jan.ai calls it 'Free & Open source'. LM Studio's app is closed source under its own terms, free for personal use and for work, with only its CLI and SDKs under MIT.
Jan's docs list minimums of 8GB RAM and 10GB free disk on Windows and Linux (6GB VRAM for GPU use), and macOS 13.6 or newer. LM Studio recommends 16GB RAM and 4GB+ VRAM on Windows, and needs Apple silicon on macOS, with Intel Macs not supported.
LM Studio sells optional cloud plans (Bionic+ at $20 USD/month, Pro at $100 USD/month); Jan lists no paid plan on the pages checked, and cloud costs come from whichever provider you connect.
One new comparison, every week
Two tools side by side with our verdict, in one short email. Unsubscribe any time.
Last updated 16 October 2026. How we make money