jan vs ollama
Updated
Both are free, open-source ways to run AI models on your own computer. ollama is more popular (185k vs 45k GitHub stars). Pick jan if you don't have a GPU; pick ollama if you want the bigger community (185k vs 45k GitHub stars).
Side by side
 jan |  ollama | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | LLMs & chat | LLMs & chat |
| GitHub stars | 45,085 | 184,754 |
| Stars this week | +68 | +511 |
| Last update | 1d ago | today |
| License | Not detected | MIT |
| Commercial use | No license | |
| Language | Rust | Go |
| Runs on Mac | ||
| Runs without a GPU | ||
| GPU memory | Not stated | Not stated |
| Needs a paid API key | No | No |
| Self-hostable | ||
| Trending this week | – | – |
Hardware details are as stated by each project and may be incomplete.
Choose jan if…
Runs local AI models for chat and task assistance.
- you don't have a GPU
- your team works in Rust
Choose ollama if…
Get up and running with Kimi, GLM, MiniMax, DeepSeek, gpt-oss, Qwen, Gemma and other models.
- you want the bigger community (185k vs 45k GitHub stars)
- you want the one with more momentum right now (+511 stars this week)
- you're building a commercial product (MIT allows it; jan is no license)
- your team works in Go
FAQ
Is jan better than ollama?
Both are free, open-source ways to run AI models on your own computer. ollama is more popular (185k vs 45k GitHub stars). Pick jan if you don't have a GPU; pick ollama if you want the bigger community (185k vs 45k GitHub stars).
Which is better for commercial use, jan or ollama?
ollama (MIT) allows commercial use with few conditions. jan is no license, so check its terms first.
Do jan and ollama run on a Mac?
Yes. According to both projects, they run on macOS.
Are jan and ollama free?
Yes. Both are open source and free to use.