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Jan vs Alpaca: catalog facts
Jan	Alpaca
Free Free and open source. Using a third-party cloud model through Jan costs whatever that…	Free Free and open source.
Windows, macOS, Linux	Linux
Runs fully offline on your own computer when you want it to Same interface for local models and for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Mistral and others	Beginner-friendly interface for Ollama Manage and chat with multiple models
Still pre-1.0 and moving fast; features appear and change between releases Adding a cloud provider means putting that provider’s API key into the app	Linux only Depends on Ollama for local models
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: Apache-2.0	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 20, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.