Comparison
yalm vs jan
Verdict
Pick yalm when yalm is primarily C++; jan is TypeScript; pick jan when jan is primarily TypeScript; yalm is C++.
Markdown twin · yalm alternatives · jan alternatives
GraphCanon updated today
Trust & integrity
| Signal | yalm | jan |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Slowing (301d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 | Very active (1d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Personal account As of today · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Organization account As of today · github_public_v1 |
| Security (OSV) | No lockfile As of today · none | No lockfile As of today · none |
Tagline
- yalm
- Yet Another Language Model: LLM inference in C++/CUDA, no libraries except for I/O
- jan
- open source alternative to ChatGPT that runs offline locally
Stars
- yalm
- 591
- jan
- 43k
Forks
- yalm
- 64
- jan
- 2.9k
Open issues
- yalm
- 4
- jan
- 387
Language
- yalm
- C++
- jan
- TypeScript
Adopt for
- yalm
- -
- jan
- Jan is a TypeScript-based, self-hosted chatbot application that acts as an offline alternative to services like ChatGPT.
Persona
- yalm
- -
- jan
- -
Runtime
- yalm
- -
- jan
- -
License
- yalm
- -
- jan
- Other
Last pushed
- yalm
- Sep 13, 2025
- jan
- Jul 10, 2026
Categories
- yalm
- LLM Frameworks, Inference & Serving
- jan
- LLM Frameworks, Inference & Serving
Trust and health
Maintenance
- yalm
- Slowing (36%)
- jan
- Very active (96%)
Days since push
- yalm
- 301d
- jan
- 1d
Open issues (now)
- yalm
- 4
- jan
- 387
Owner type
- yalm
- User
- jan
- Organization
Full report
- yalm
- Trust report
- jan
- Trust report
Choose yalm if…
- yalm is primarily C++; jan is TypeScript.
- Tags unique to yalm: llama, machine-learning, cpp, cuda.
- Leaner open-issue backlog (4).
When NOT to use yalm
- Last GitHub push was 301 days ago (slowing maintenance, Sep 13, 2025). Validate activity before betting a new project on yalm.
- LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves.
- Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic.
Choose jan if…
- jan is primarily TypeScript; yalm is C++.
- Tags unique to jan: tauri, self-hosted, chatgpt, gpt.
- - If you require an offline-capable AI assistant for environments without internet access.
When NOT to use jan
- - If you require real-time updates to the AI model, since Jan uses static local models which may not get frequent updates.
- - When a vast knowledge base or continuous learning capabilities are essential, as Jan's offline nature constrains its ability to stay current with new information.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (andrewkchan/yalm) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub forks (andrewkchan/yalm) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Last push (andrewkchan/yalm) · observed Sep 13, 2025
- License file (unknown) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub stars (janhq/jan) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub forks (janhq/jan) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Last push (janhq/jan) · observed Jul 10, 2026
- License file (Other) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: yalm 591 · jan 43k (synced Jul 11, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between yalm and jan?
- yalm: Yet Another Language Model: LLM inference in C++/CUDA, no libraries except for I/O. jan: open source alternative to ChatGPT that runs offline locally. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose yalm over jan?
- Choose yalm over jan when yalm is primarily C++; jan is TypeScript; Tags unique to yalm: llama, machine-learning, cpp, cuda; Leaner open-issue backlog (4).
- When should I choose jan over yalm?
- Choose jan over yalm when jan is primarily TypeScript; yalm is C++; Tags unique to jan: tauri, self-hosted, chatgpt, gpt; - If you require an offline-capable AI assistant for environments without internet access.
- When should I avoid yalm?
- Last GitHub push was 301 days ago (slowing maintenance, Sep 13, 2025). Validate activity before betting a new project on yalm. LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic.
- When should I avoid jan?
- - If you require real-time updates to the AI model, since Jan uses static local models which may not get frequent updates. - When a vast knowledge base or continuous learning capabilities are essential, as Jan's offline nature constrains its ability to stay current with new information.
- Is yalm or jan more popular on GitHub?
- jan has more GitHub stars (43,499 vs 591). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are yalm and jan open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub.
- Where can I find alternatives to yalm or jan?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at yalm alternatives and jan alternatives (yalm markdown twin, jan markdown twin), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes.
- Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison?
- Yes. The markdown twin at this comparison mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.
- Which is better maintained, yalm or jan?
- yalm: Slowing. jan: Very active. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance.
- Where are the full trust reports for yalm and jan?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: yalm trust report; jan trust report.