--- title: "jan vs Star-Attention" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/janhq-jan-vs-nvidia-star-attention" tools: ["janhq-jan", "nvidia-star-attention"] --- # jan vs Star-Attention *GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026* ## Verdict Pick jan when jan is primarily TypeScript; Star-Attention is Python; pick Star-Attention when star-Attention is primarily Python; jan is TypeScript. [jan](https://jan.ai/) reports 43k GitHub stars, 2.9k forks, and 387 open issues, last pushed Jul 10, 2026. [Star-Attention](https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.17116) has 393 stars, 23 forks, and 0 open issues, last pushed Jun 25, 2025. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [jan's repository](https://github.com/janhq/jan) and [Star-Attention's repository](https://github.com/NVIDIA/Star-Attention). | | [jan](/tools/janhq-jan.md) | [Star-Attention](/tools/nvidia-star-attention.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | open source alternative to ChatGPT that runs offline locally | Efficient LLM Inference over Long Sequences | | Stars | 43,499 | 393 | | Forks | 2,896 | 23 | | Open issues | 387 | 0 | | Language | TypeScript | Python | | 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 | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks | Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [jan](/tools/janhq-jan.md) | [Star-Attention](/tools/nvidia-star-attention.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Dormant (18%) | | Days since push | 1d | 380d | | Open issues (now) | 387 | 0 | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/janhq-jan/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/nvidia-star-attention/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 jan if… - jan is primarily TypeScript; Star-Attention is Python. - License: jan is Other, Star-Attention is Apache-2.0. - Tags unique to jan: chatgpt, gpt, llamacpp, llm. - - If you require an offline-capable AI assistant for environments without internet access. ### Choose Star-Attention if… - Star-Attention is primarily Python; jan is TypeScript. - License: Star-Attention is Apache-2.0, jan is Other. - Tags unique to Star-Attention: attention mechanism, large-language-models, llm-inference, python. ## 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. ## When NOT to use Star-Attention - Last GitHub push was 381 days ago (dormant maintenance, Jun 25, 2025). Validate activity before betting a new project on Star-Attention. - Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic. - LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between jan and Star-Attention? jan: open source alternative to ChatGPT that runs offline locally. Star-Attention: Efficient LLM Inference over Long Sequences. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose jan over Star-Attention? Choose jan over Star-Attention when jan is primarily TypeScript; Star-Attention is Python; License: jan is Other, Star-Attention is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to jan: chatgpt, gpt, llamacpp, llm; - If you require an offline-capable AI assistant for environments without internet access. ### When should I choose Star-Attention over jan? Choose Star-Attention over jan when Star-Attention is primarily Python; jan is TypeScript; License: Star-Attention is Apache-2.0, jan is Other; Tags unique to Star-Attention: attention mechanism, large-language-models, llm-inference, python. ### 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. ### When should I avoid Star-Attention? Last GitHub push was 381 days ago (dormant maintenance, Jun 25, 2025). Validate activity before betting a new project on Star-Attention. Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic. LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. ### Is jan or Star-Attention more popular on GitHub? jan has more GitHub stars (43,499 vs 393). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are jan and Star-Attention open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (jan: Other, Star-Attention: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to jan or Star-Attention? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [jan alternatives](/tools/janhq-jan/alternatives) and [Star-Attention alternatives](/tools/nvidia-star-attention/alternatives) ([jan markdown twin](/tools/janhq-jan/alternatives.md), [Star-Attention markdown twin](/tools/nvidia-star-attention/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/janhq-jan-vs-nvidia-star-attention.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, jan or Star-Attention? jan: Very active. Star-Attention: Dormant. 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 jan and Star-Attention? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [jan trust report](/tools/janhq-jan/trust); [Star-Attention trust report](/tools/nvidia-star-attention/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=janhq-jan`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=janhq-jan) - 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/_