Jan vs LobeHub (LobeChat)
Short answer
Jan: Offline desktop ChatGPT alternative that runs models on each employee's computer. LobeHub (LobeChat): Polished multi-model chat and agent workspace with plugins and knowledge bases. Both are in our Private ChatGPT-style chat category.
Choose Jan if you want: no server to rent (desktop app) and fewer license conditions (Permissive vs Custom / conditional).
Choose LobeHub (LobeChat) if you want: lighter official minimum (4 GB vs 8 GB RAM) and larger community (83.4k vs 45.0k GitHub stars).
Last updated · computed from each project's official docs and live GitHub data · sources
Jan vs LobeHub (LobeChat) side by side
| Jan | LobeHub (LobeChat) | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Private ChatGPT-style chat | Private ChatGPT-style chat |
| What it is | Offline desktop ChatGPT alternative that runs models on each employee's computer. | Polished multi-model chat and agent workspace with plugins and knowledge bases. |
| License | Apache-2.0 | LobeHub Community License (Apache-2.0 with conditions) |
| License type | Permissive | Custom / conditional |
| License conditions | Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. | Commercial use is allowed as a frontend and backend service without modifying the source. Developing and distributing a derivative work requires a commercial license from LobeHub. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| GitHub stars | 45.0k | 83.4k |
| Last commit | Oct 22, 2026 | Oct 22, 2026 |
| Latest release | v0.8.7 | v2.2.20 |
| Minimum hardware | 8 GB RAM · 10 GB disk | 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM · 20 GB disk |
| Recommended hardware | 16 GB RAM | 4 vCPU · 8 GB RAM · 50 GB disk |
| RAM measured by us | Not tested yet | Not tested yet |
| GPU | 6 GB VRAM minimum for GPU acceleration | Not required / not stated |
| Est. server cost | No server (desktop app) | from €19.99/mo (recommended spec: €35.99/mo) |
| Deploy method | Desktop installer | Docker Compose (setup script) |
| Known gotchas | 2 listed | 3 listed |
| Telemetry | Off by default (opt-in) | Not documented |
| Calls home by default | Not documented | Not documented |
| SSO (OIDC / SAML / LDAP) | Not documented | Free (OIDC free) |
| Audit log | Not documented | Not documented |
| RBAC | Not documented | Not documented |
| Details | Full Jan guide → | Full LobeHub (LobeChat) guide → |
Key differences
- License: Jan: Apache-2.0 (Permissive). LobeHub (LobeChat): LobeHub Community License (Apache-2.0 with conditions) (Custom / conditional).
- Official hardware: Jan: minimum 8 GB RAM · 10 GB disk (recommended 16 GB RAM). LobeHub (LobeChat): minimum 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM · 20 GB disk (recommended 4 vCPU · 8 GB RAM · 50 GB disk).
- GPU: Jan: optional / see notes. LobeHub (LobeChat): not required or not stated.
- Est. server cost: Jan: no server (desktop app). LobeHub (LobeChat): from €19.99/mo.
- Deploy: Jan: Desktop installer · desktop installer on each computer. LobeHub (LobeChat): Docker Compose (setup script) · multi-container stack.
- GitHub stars: Jan: 45.0k. LobeHub (LobeChat): 83.4k.
- Latest release: Jan: v0.8.7 (Oct 20, 2026). LobeHub (LobeChat): v2.2.20 (Oct 18, 2026).
Same for both: Category: Private ChatGPT-style chat; Status: Active; Last commit: Oct 22, 2026.
Jan vs LobeHub (LobeChat): FAQ
Jan or LobeHub (LobeChat): which should a small business choose?
Choose Jan if you want: no server to rent (desktop app) and fewer license conditions (Permissive vs Custom / conditional). Choose LobeHub (LobeChat) if you want: lighter official minimum (4 GB vs 8 GB RAM) and larger community (83.4k vs 45.0k GitHub stars).
Which is cheaper to self-host, Jan or LobeHub (LobeChat)?
Jan: no server to rent (desktop app).
How much hardware do Jan and LobeHub (LobeChat) need?
Jan: minimum 8 GB RAM · 10 GB disk (recommended 16 GB RAM). LobeHub (LobeChat): minimum 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM · 20 GB disk (recommended 4 vCPU · 8 GB RAM · 50 GB disk).
What is the license difference between Jan and LobeHub (LobeChat)?
Jan: Apache-2.0 (Permissive). Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. LobeHub (LobeChat): LobeHub Community License (Apache-2.0 with conditions) (Custom / conditional). Commercial use is allowed as a frontend and backend service without modifying the source. Developing and distributing a derivative work requires a commercial license from LobeHub. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Is Jan or LobeHub (LobeChat) more actively maintained?
Jan: Active, last commit Oct 22, 2026. LobeHub (LobeChat): Active, last commit Oct 22, 2026. GitHub data refreshed Oct 22, 2026.
Which is easier to deploy, Jan or LobeHub (LobeChat)?
Jan installs via Desktop installer (desktop installer on each computer); LobeHub (LobeChat) via Docker Compose (setup script) (multi-container stack). Jan lists 2 known gotchas and LobeHub (LobeChat) lists 3; see each app page.
Related
- Jan self-hosting guide · LobeHub (LobeChat) self-hosting guide
- All Jan alternatives, ranked
- All LobeHub (LobeChat) alternatives, ranked
- AnythingLLM vs LobeHub (LobeChat)
- Jan vs LibreChat
- Jan vs llama.cpp
- Jan vs LocalAI
- Jan vs NextChat
- Jan vs Ollama
- Jan vs Open WebUI
- LibreChat vs LobeHub (LobeChat)
- LobeHub (LobeChat) vs NextChat
- LobeHub (LobeChat) vs Open WebUI
- Add a third app in the interactive comparison
Sources
- Jan GitHub repository: github.com/janhq/jan
- Jan documentation, Jan hardware requirements, Jan deploy instructions: docs.jan.ai/desktop/install/linux
- Jan license: github.com/janhq/jan/blob/main/LICENSE
- LobeHub (LobeChat) GitHub repository: github.com/lobehub/lobehub
- LobeHub (LobeChat) documentation, LobeHub (LobeChat) hardware requirements, LobeHub (LobeChat) deploy instructions: lobehub.com/docs/self-hosting/platform/docker-compose
- LobeHub (LobeChat) license: github.com/lobehub/lobehub/blob/main/LICENSE
- Hetzner Cloud pricing used for cost estimates (read 2026-10-22): www.hetzner.com/cloud/regular-performance
- GitHub REST API (stars, commits, releases): docs.github.com/en/rest
Every value is generated from the same verified data as the app pages. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.