head to head · open source
Jan vs CopilotKit
Jan has 44,512 GitHub stars, 3,032 forks, 521 open issues and last shipped yesterday. CopilotKit has 37,396 stars, 4,638 forks, 295 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Jan leads on adoption by 19% (44,512 vs 37,396 stars). Jan is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; CopilotKit is written in TypeScript under MIT. Jan has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, CopilotKit 12%. CopilotKit was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Jan | CopilotKit | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 45K | ★ 37K |
| License | Custom / other | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.0K | ⑂ 4.6K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Jan if
- You weight community size — 45K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick CopilotKit if
- You want the CopilotKit feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and CopilotKit fits your workflow better
About Jan
Jan is an open source desktop application that serves as a ChatGPT replacement, enabling users to run large language models (LLMs) locally on their machines or connect to cloud based providers like OpenAI and Anthropic. It is built with Tauri, TypeScript, and integrates llama.cpp for efficient local inference, targeting privacy conscious users who want full control over their AI workflows without sending data to third parties.
About CopilotKit
CopilotKit is a frontend SDK for building agent native applications and generative UI experiences. It provides tooling and protocols to connect AI agents—regardless of backend framework—to user interfaces across web, mobile, and messaging platforms. It lives in the agentic AI ecosystem, specifically targeting developers who need to embed intelligent assistants into products without rebuilding agent logic for each surface.
read the full CopilotKit overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Jan or CopilotKit more popular?
Jan has 44,512 GitHub stars and CopilotKit has 37,396. Jan has the larger community by that measure.
Are Jan and CopilotKit free?
Both are open source. Jan has no licence declared in this registry, and CopilotKit is licensed under MIT. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Jan and CopilotKit?
Jan is written in TypeScript and CopilotKit in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Jan or CopilotKit?
Choose Jan if you want the larger community (44,512 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose CopilotKit if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.