Two polished desktop apps for running AI locally. Jan is the open-source newcomer; LM Studio is the established player. Which desktop experience wins?
User Interface
🤝 TieBoth have modern, clean UIs. Jan feels more like a native chat app; LM Studio has more technical controls exposed.
Open Source
🏆 JanJan is fully open source (AGPLv3). LM Studio is closed source.
Model Discovery
🏆 LM StudioLM Studio has superior HuggingFace integration for browsing and downloading models.
Features
🏆 LM StudioLM Studio is more mature with model comparison, better GPU controls, and more configuration options.
Remote APIs
🏆 JanJan uniquely supports connecting to remote APIs (OpenAI, etc.) alongside local models.
Local API Server
🤝 TieBoth offer local OpenAI-compatible API servers.
🎯 Which Should You Choose?
LM Studio is the safer choice — more mature, more features, better model discovery. Jan is the exciting underdog — open source, fast-moving, and unique in supporting both local and remote models. If open source matters to you, go with Jan. If you want the most polished experience today, choose LM Studio.