--- title: "yalm vs jan" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/andrewkchan-yalm-vs-janhq-jan" tools: ["andrewkchan-yalm", "janhq-jan"] --- # yalm vs jan *GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026* ## Verdict Pick yalm when yalm is primarily C++; jan is TypeScript; pick jan when jan is primarily TypeScript; yalm is C++. [yalm](https://github.com/andrewkchan/yalm) reports 591 GitHub stars, 64 forks, and 4 open issues, last pushed Sep 13, 2025. [jan](https://jan.ai/) has 43k stars, 2.9k forks, and 387 open issues, last pushed Jul 10, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [yalm's repository](https://github.com/andrewkchan/yalm) and [jan's repository](https://github.com/janhq/jan). | | [yalm](/tools/andrewkchan-yalm.md) | [jan](/tools/janhq-jan.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Yet Another Language Model: LLM inference in C++/CUDA, no libraries except for I/O | open source alternative to ChatGPT that runs offline locally | | Stars | 591 | 43,499 | | Forks | 64 | 2,896 | | Open issues | 4 | 387 | | Language | C++ | TypeScript | | Adopt for | - | Jan is a TypeScript-based, self-hosted chatbot application that acts as an offline alternative to services like ChatGPT. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | - | Other | | Categories | LLM Frameworks, Inference & Serving | LLM Frameworks, Inference & Serving | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [yalm](/tools/andrewkchan-yalm.md) | [jan](/tools/janhq-jan.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Slowing (36%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 301d | 1d | | Open issues (now) | 4 | 387 | | Owner type | User | Organization | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/andrewkchan-yalm/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/janhq-jan/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: jan - **Adopt for:** Jan is a TypeScript-based, self-hosted chatbot application that acts as an offline alternative to services like ChatGPT. ## Choose when ### Choose yalm if… - yalm is primarily C++; jan is TypeScript. - Tags unique to yalm: llama, machine-learning, cpp, cuda. - Leaner open-issue backlog (4). ### 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 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 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. ## 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](/tools/andrewkchan-yalm/alternatives) and [jan alternatives](/tools/janhq-jan/alternatives) ([yalm markdown twin](/tools/andrewkchan-yalm/alternatives.md), [jan markdown twin](/tools/janhq-jan/alternatives.md)), 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](/compare/andrewkchan-yalm-vs-janhq-jan.md) 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](/tools/andrewkchan-yalm/trust); [jan trust report](/tools/janhq-jan/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=andrewkchan-yalm`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=andrewkchan-yalm) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_