head to head · open source
OpenClaw vs Jan
OpenClaw has 389,982 GitHub stars, 81,978 forks, 6,671 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Jan has 44,512 stars, 3,032 forks, 521 open issues and last shipped yesterday. OpenClaw leads on adoption by 776% (389,982 vs 44,512 stars). OpenClaw is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Jan is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. OpenClaw has attracted 21% as many forks as stars, Jan 7%. OpenClaw 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
| OpenClaw | Jan | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 390K | ★ 45K |
| License | Custom / other | Custom / other |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 82K | ⑂ 3.0K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick OpenClaw if
- You weight community size — 390K 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 Jan if
- You want the Jan feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Jan fits your workflow better
About OpenClaw
OpenClaw is an open source, self hosted AI assistant in the AI & Machine Learning / AI Interaction & Interfaces category that runs on hardware the user controls and meets them inside the messaging channels they already use, for individuals who want a personal assistant on a laptop and teams that want a shared deployment.
read the full OpenClaw overview →
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.
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Frequently asked questions
Is OpenClaw or Jan more popular?
OpenClaw has 389,982 GitHub stars and Jan has 44,512. OpenClaw has the larger community by that measure.
Are OpenClaw and Jan free?
Neither OpenClaw nor Jan declares a licence in this registry, so check each project's own repository before relying on either for a commercial use. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between OpenClaw and Jan?
OpenClaw is written in TypeScript and Jan 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, OpenClaw or Jan?
Choose OpenClaw if you want the larger community (389,982 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Jan if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.