Head to head
Two ways to run open AI models on your own machine. Both are free and private by default; they differ mainly in interface and how much they hide the plumbing.
Ollama
A free, open-source tool that runs open AI models locally on your own computer — private, offline-capable, and with no per-use fees. Download it at ollama.com for macOS, Windows, or Linux and pull a model with a single command.
Menlo Research
A free, open-source desktop app that runs AI models fully offline on your own computer — a private, self-hosted ChatGPT alternative that can also connect to cloud models, from jan.ai.
| Fact | Ollama | Jan |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Ollama | Menlo Research |
| Category | API & Platform | AI Assistant |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Verification | Listed | Listed |
| Listed | Sep 2026 | Sep 2026 |
Pick Ollama if you are comfortable with a command line and want a large model library; pick Jan for a friendlier desktop app. Both are free and run locally.
Nothing here is ranked or chosen for money — see editorial independence. Read the full listings for Ollama and Jan, or browse the whole directory.