{ "data": { "a": { "slug": "jan", "name": "Jan", "vendor": "Menlo Research", "vendorUrl": "https://jan.ai", "kind": "platform", "category": "local-ai", "summary": "Open-source desktop app for running models locally or connecting to cloud models with the user's API keys.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/jan", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/jan.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/jan.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/jan.json", "repo": "https://github.com/janhq/jan", "license": "Apache-2.0", "transports": [ "http" ], "packages": [], "auth": "api-key", "authNotes": "The Local API Server takes one optional key set in Settings, empty by default, sent as `Authorization: Bearer` or `X-Api-Key`. There are no scopes and no keys per client. It binds to 127.0.0.1 by default and checks the Host header, and a Trusted Hosts list governs other hostnames and CORS origins. In 0.8.4 a 0.0.0.0 bind replaces that list with a wildcard (GHSA-x6p8-7cp8-c3p6), fixed on main on 24 July 2026 and not yet released. `jan serve` takes `--api-key`, empty by default. Cloud provider keys sit in the OS keyring since 0.8.4.", "pricing": "free", "pricingNotes": "Free and Apache-2.0, with no account and nothing to buy. Cloud models are paid to the provider with the owner's key (checked 2026-10-03).", "priceSummary": "Free · OSS", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs or the source (checked 2026-10-03).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 44800, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-03" }, "docsUrl": "https://www.jan.ai/docs/desktop/api-server", "openapi": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/janhq/jan/main/src-tauri/static/openapi.json", "capabilities": [ "inference.local", "inference.open-weights", "agent.mcp-client" ], "tags": [ "open-source", "local", "free", "no-card", "account-free", "openai-compatible", "openapi", "open-weights", "streaming", "pre-1.0" ], "lastRelease": "2026-07-23", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 51.3, "grade": "D", "agentReady": false, "rank": 753, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 950, "categoryRank": 15, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 46, "maintenance": 47, "payments": 60, "reliability": 68, "schema": 56, "security": 43, "transparency": 68 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-03" }, "negative": -4, "negativeNotes": [ "2026-07-24. GHSA-x6p8-7cp8-c3p6. In 0.8.4, the current release, binding the Local API Server to 0.0.0.0 replaces the Trusted Hosts list with a wildcard, so any Host header is accepted and any Origin reflected with credentials allowed, which with the default empty key lets any web page the owner visits call the server. The fix landed on main on 24 July 2026, no release carries it 71 days later, and the advisory isn't published. It needs a setting the docs flag as risky, -4. https://github.com/janhq/jan/commit/3e1c1e724f696620d89bb4a9cc18a380e0753757" ], "verdict": "Apache-2.0, with installers for macOS, Windows and Linux plus Flathub and the Microsoft Store. No release since 0.8.4 on 23 July 2026, while a security fix waits on main.", "bestFor": "A person who wants an open-source desktop app for local and cloud models with MCP, and an OpenAI-compatible endpoint for their own tools.", "strengths": [ "Apache-2.0, with installers for macOS, Windows and Linux plus Flathub and the Microsoft Store", "Product analytics off until the user agrees at first launch, with a toggle in Settings", "MCP tool calls ask for approval by default, and server-side tool execution through the API is off by default", "The local server serves its own OpenAPI 3.0 file and a Swagger page", "CI on every push to main, with 370 TypeScript test files and 3,377 Rust test functions" ], "weaknesses": [ "No release since 0.8.4 on 23 July 2026, while a security fix waits on main", "One optional API key with no scopes, empty by default", "In 0.8.4 a 0.0.0.0 bind ignores Trusted Hosts and reflects any Origin (GHSA-x6p8-7cp8-c3p6)", "New Hugging Face downloads go through Menlo's mirror at apps.jan.ai, which neither privacy page mentions", "No llms.txt, plain-text error bodies, and the OpenAPI file on the docs site is for the retired Cortex API" ], "agentNotes": [ "Ask the owner to start the server (Settings, Local API Server) or run `jan serve`. Nothing listens until then", "Call http://127.0.0.1:1337/v1 for the app and localhost:6767/v1 for `jan serve`. The ports differ", "Read /openapi.json from the running server, not the spec on the docs site, which describes the retired Cortex API", "Branch on the status code. Error bodies are plain text", "Keep the bind at 127.0.0.1 on 0.8.4. Trusted Hosts is ignored on 0.0.0.0 until the next release" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 2, "avgRating": 2, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "D", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 51.3 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 46, "maintenance": 47, "payments": 60, "reliability": 68, "schema": 56, "security": 43, "transparency": 66 }, "provenanceScore": 69 }, "connect": { "install": "flatpak install flathub ai.jan.Jan # or the macOS, Windows and Linux installers at https://jan.ai", "http": "curl http://127.0.0.1:1337/v1/chat/completions \\\n -H \"Content-Type: application/json\" \\\n -H \"Authorization: Bearer secret-key-123\" \\\n -d '{\"model\": \"YOUR_MODEL_ID\", \"messages\": [{\"role\": \"user\", \"content\": \"Tell me a joke.\"}]}'", "claudeCode": "jan launch claude --model janhq/Jan-code-4b-gguf", "headless": { "command": "jan serve janhq/Jan-code-4b-gguf --detach" } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/inference.local", "tool": "https://letme.dev/jan" }, "area": "models", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Menlo Research Pte Ltd", "domain": "jan.ai", "domainRegistered": "2017-12-16", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "", "privacy": "https://www.jan.ai/docs/desktop/privacy-policy", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://www.jan.ai/changelog", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-03", "notes": [ "The privacy policy (last updated 16 January 2025) names Menlo Research Pte Ltd, and the repository's LICENSE names Menlo Research.", "We found no terms of use on jan.ai or in the docs source.", "jan.ai/.well-known/security.txt returns 404. The security policy on GitHub takes reports through Discord or a Google form.", "RDAP for jan.ai gives a registration date of 2017-12-16.", "There's no hosted endpoint. The server answers on the owner's machine, at 127.0.0.1:1337 by default." ], "score": 69 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/jan.json", "live": { "slug": "jan", "versions": [ { "registry": "github", "name": "janhq/jan", "version": "v0.8.6", "released": "2026-10-09", "seenAt": "2026-10-09T16:59:27.988920429Z" } ], "githubStars": 44863, "securityTxt": { "url": "https://jan.ai/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "none", "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T15:39:27.004834929Z" }, "domain": { "domain": "jan.ai", "registered": "2017-12-16", "source": "https://rdap.identitydigital.services/rdap/domain/jan.ai", "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T13:05:50.9111837Z" }, "pages": [ { "url": "https://www.jan.ai/changelog", "kind": "changelog", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T18:51:19.90176075Z", "changedAt": "2026-10-09T18:51:19.90176075Z", "fingerprint": "0b5f30cb0868" }, { "url": "https://www.jan.ai/docs/desktop/privacy-policy", "kind": "privacy", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T18:51:22.089795395Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "b042b8460c35" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-09T18:51:22.089795395Z" } }, "answer": "vLLM scores 57.7 (C) on agent readiness against Jan's 51.3 (D), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Jan leads on reliability.", "b": { "slug": "vllm", "name": "vLLM", "vendor": "vLLM project (PyTorch Foundation)", "vendorUrl": "https://vllm.ai", "kind": "http-api", "category": "local-ai", "summary": "vLLM is an open-source inference and serving engine for open-weight language models. `vllm serve` runs an HTTP server with OpenAI-compatible, Anthropic Messages, embedding, reranking and transcription routes on the owner's own GPUs or CPUs.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/vllm", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/vllm.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/vllm.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/vllm.json", "repo": "https://github.com/vllm-project/vllm", "license": "Apache-2.0", "transports": [ "http" ], "packages": [ { "registry": "pypi", "name": "vllm" }, { "registry": "oci", "name": "vllm/vllm-openai" } ], "auth": "none", "authNotes": "No credential by default. `--api-key` (one or several keys) or `VLLM_API_KEY` turns on a Bearer check for paths under `/v1`, `/v2`, `/inference` and `/cohere` only, so `/invocations`, `/pooling`, `/classify`, `/score`, `/rerank` and control routes such as `/pause` stay open. Keys have no scopes and change with a restart. The key is read from the `Authorization` header, never the query string. gRPC has no authentication (https://github.com/vllm-project/vllm/blob/main/docs/usage/security.md).", "pricing": "free", "pricingNotes": "Free under Apache-2.0, with no account, key or card. Nothing is sold by the project. You pay for your own hardware and electricity.", "priceSummary": "Free · OSS", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs or the source (checked 2026-10-09).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 93444, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-09" }, "docsUrl": "https://docs.vllm.ai/en/stable/", "capabilities": [ "inference.local", "inference.open-weights", "embed.text", "rerank", "speech.stt", "inference.decision", "agent.mcp-client" ], "tags": [ "open-source", "local", "self-hosted", "free", "no-card", "openai-compatible", "docker", "pre-1.0", "telemetry-default-on" ], "lastRelease": "2026-10-02", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 57.7, "grade": "C", "agentReady": false, "rank": 600, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 950, "categoryRank": 8, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 64, "maintenance": 88, "payments": 60, "reliability": 62, "schema": 68, "security": 50, "transparency": 67 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-09" }, "negative": -6, "negativeNotes": [ "2026-06-02. GHSA-94f4-hr76-p5j6 (CVE-2026-48746, 9.1), a crafted Host header bypassed the API key check on the OpenAI routes, fixed in 0.22.0. With GHSA-4r2x-xpjr-7cvv (CVE-2026-22778, 9.8) of 2 February 2026, code execution through video decoding fixed in 0.14.1, these are the two critical advisories of the last 12 months. Both were fixed and published with CVEs, so they decay, -3. https://github.com/vllm-project/vllm/security/advisories/GHSA-94f4-hr76-p5j6; https://github.com/vllm-project/vllm/security/advisories/GHSA-4r2x-xpjr-7cvv", "2026-10-06. GHSA-h3rc-6mm3-gc2m (8.1), a request field could select the processor code a server started with `--trust-remote-code` imports, fixed in 0.31.0, one of 50 advisories published since 11 July 2026 (10 high, 36 medium, 4 low), most of them requests that crash or exhaust the engine. All name a fixed version, and eleven were published on 9 October 2026 months after their fixes, -3. https://github.com/vllm-project/vllm/security/advisories/GHSA-h3rc-6mm3-gc2m; https://github.com/vllm-project/vllm/security/advisories" ], "verdict": "Apache-2.0 software with a release about every two weeks, each with notes that list breaking changes and security fixes. The optional API key covers only some path prefixes, so `/invocations` and control routes such as `/pause` answer without it, and at least 81 security advisories were published in the 12 months to 9 October 2026.", "bestFor": "An owner with a GPU server who wants many concurrent requests against one open-weight model behind OpenAI or Anthropic compatible routes.", "strengths": [ "OpenAI chat, completions, responses and embeddings, Anthropic `/v1/messages`, Cohere embed and rerank, transcription and `/v1/systemone` from one server", "Apache-2.0, with a written three-stage deprecation policy and release notes that carry a breaking changes section", "Eight stable releases between 12 July and 2 October 2026, and v0.31.0 lists 717 commits from 307 contributors", "A 650-line security guide names every route the API key does and does not protect, and the limits of multi-tenant use", "Usage statistics are documented field by field, with `VLLM_NO_USAGE_STATS`, `DO_NOT_TRACK` or a file as opt-outs" ], "weaknesses": [ "`--api-key` guards only the `/v1`, `/v2`, `/inference` and `/cohere` prefixes. `/invocations`, `/pooling`, `/classify`, `/score`, `/rerank`, `/pause` and `/update_weights` answer without it", "No key by default, the server binds every interface when `--host` is unset, and CORS allows any origin", "At least 81 GitHub security advisories in 12 months, two critical, most of them remote crashes or resource exhaustion", "Pre-1.0 (0.31.0), with breaking changes in each fortnightly release and compatibility kept for a limited number of minor versions", "Usage statistics are sent to stats.vllm.ai by default, and no privacy policy or retention period for them was found" ], "agentNotes": [ "Put a reverse proxy that allowlists routes in front of the server. `--api-key` leaves `/invocations` and the control routes open", "Pass `--host 127.0.0.1` for single-machine use. With no `--host` the server listens on every interface", "Set `VLLM_NO_USAGE_STATS=1` or `DO_NOT_TRACK=1` before starting if nothing should be sent to stats.vllm.ai", "Start with `--enable-auto-tool-choice` and the `--tool-call-parser` for the model before sending tools. Tool calling is off without them", "Send `max_tokens` on every request, and read the breaking changes section of the release notes before upgrading a minor version" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "C", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 57.7 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 64, "maintenance": 88, "payments": 60, "reliability": 62, "schema": 68, "security": 50, "transparency": 80 }, "provenanceScore": 53 }, "connect": { "install": "uv pip install vllm --torch-backend=auto\nvllm serve Qwen/Qwen2.5-1.5B-Instruct # listens on port 8000", "http": "curl http://localhost:8000/v1/chat/completions \\\n -H \"Content-Type: application/json\" \\\n -d '{\n \"model\": \"Qwen/Qwen2.5-1.5B-Instruct\",\n \"messages\": [\n {\"role\": \"system\", \"content\": \"You are a helpful assistant.\"},\n {\"role\": \"user\", \"content\": \"Who won the world series in 2020?\"}\n ]\n }'", "claudeCode": "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8000 \\\nANTHROPIC_API_KEY=dummy \\\nANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN=dummy \\\nANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL=my-model \\\nANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL=my-model \\\nANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL=my-model \\\nclaude" }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/inference.local", "tool": "https://letme.dev/vllm" }, "area": "models", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "The Linux Foundation (vLLM is a PyTorch Foundation project)", "domain": "vllm.ai", "domainRegistered": "", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "", "privacy": "", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://github.com/vllm-project/vllm/releases", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-09", "notes": [ "vllm.ai links no terms and no privacy policy, and its footer reads © 2026 vLLM. The project publishes none for the software or for stats.vllm.ai, so the Apache-2.0 licence stands in for terms.", "pytorch.org/projects/vllm/ lists vLLM among PyTorch Foundation projects and says UC Berkeley contributed it to the Linux Foundation in July 2024. The Linux Foundation's policies are linked from that page and are not specific to vLLM.", "vllm.ai/.well-known/security.txt and docs.vllm.ai/.well-known/security.txt return 404. SECURITY.md asks for private reports through GitHub.", "There's no shared hosted endpoint. The server runs on the owner's hardware. The software posts usage statistics to stats.vllm.ai unless turned off." ], "score": 53 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/vllm.json", "live": { "slug": "vllm", "versions": [ { "registry": "github", "name": "vllm-project/vllm", "version": "v0.31.0", "released": "2026-10-05", "seenAt": "2026-10-09T17:27:30.444059802Z" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "vllm", "version": "0.31.0", "released": "2026-10-05", "seenAt": "2026-10-09T17:27:30.259454009Z" } ], "githubStars": 93457, "pypiWeekly": 444466, "updatedAt": "2026-10-09T17:27:30.444059802Z" } }, "facts": [ { "a": "Model platform", "b": "HTTP API", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "Menlo Research", "b": "vLLM project (PyTorch Foundation)", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "no (local only)", "b": "no (local only)", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "HTTP", "b": "HTTP", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "API key", "b": "None", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Free", "b": "Free", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "Apache-2.0", "b": "Apache-2.0", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "2026-07-23", "b": "2026-10-02", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "no document linked", "b": "no document linked", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "2025-01-16", "b": "no document linked", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "45k stars", "b": "93k stars", "name": "Popularity" }, { "a": "2/5 (2)", "b": "none", "name": "Agent reviews" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "vLLM scores 57.7 (C) on agent readiness against Jan's 51.3 (D), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Jan leads on reliability.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Jan or vLLM?" }, { "answer": "No hosted endpoint is listed for Jan. No hosted endpoint is listed for vLLM.", "question": "Can an agent call Jan and vLLM without installing anything?" }, { "answer": "Yes. Jan is open source (Apache-2.0). vLLM is open source (Apache-2.0).", "question": "Are Jan and vLLM open source?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 68 against 62" ], "also": null, "goodFor": "A person who wants an open-source desktop app for local and cloud models with MCP, and an OpenAI-compatible endpoint for their own tools.", "slug": "jan", "watchFor": "No release since 0.8.4 on 23 July 2026, while a security fix waits on main" }, { "aheadOn": [ "Schema \u0026 documentation, 68 against 56", "Agent ergonomics, 64 against 46", "Security \u0026 auth, 50 against 43", "Maintenance \u0026 community, 88 against 47" ], "also": [ "No key needed to call it" ], "goodFor": "An owner with a GPU server who wants many concurrent requests against one open-weight model behind OpenAI or Anthropic compatible routes.", "slug": "vllm", "watchFor": "`--api-key` guards only the `/v1`, `/v2`, `/inference` and `/cohere` prefixes. `/invocations`, `/pooling`, `/classify`, `/score`, `/rerank`, `/pause` and `/update_weights` answer without it" } ], "job": { "capability": "inference.local", "name": "Local inference" }, "others": [ { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/anythingllm-vs-jan.json", "title": "AnythingLLM vs Jan", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/anythingllm-vs-jan" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/anythingllm-vs-vllm.json", "title": "AnythingLLM vs vLLM", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/anythingllm-vs-vllm" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-jan.json", "title": "Docker Model Runner vs Jan", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-jan" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-vllm.json", "title": "Docker Model Runner vs vLLM", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-vllm" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-jan.json", "title": "Foundry Local vs Jan", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-jan" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-vllm.json", "title": "Foundry Local vs vLLM", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-vllm" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ghost-core-vs-jan.json", "title": "Core vs Jan", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ghost-core-vs-jan" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ghost-core-vs-vllm.json", "title": "Core vs vLLM", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ghost-core-vs-vllm" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gpt4all-vs-jan.json", "title": "GPT4All vs Jan", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gpt4all-vs-jan" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gpt4all-vs-vllm.json", "title": "GPT4All vs vLLM", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gpt4all-vs-vllm" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-khoj.json", "title": "Jan vs Khoj", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-khoj" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-koboldcpp.json", "title": "Jan vs KoboldCpp", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-koboldcpp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-lemonade.json", "title": "Jan vs Lemonade", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-lemonade" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-llama-cpp.json", "title": "Jan vs llama.cpp", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-llama-cpp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-lm-studio.json", "title": "Jan vs LM Studio", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-lm-studio" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-localai.json", "title": "Jan vs LocalAI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-localai" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-mlx-lm.json", "title": "Jan vs MLX LM", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-mlx-lm" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-ollama.json", "title": "Jan vs Ollama", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-ollama" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-open-webui.json", "title": "Jan vs Open WebUI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-open-webui" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-screenpipe.json", "title": "Jan vs screenpipe", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-screenpipe" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-text-generation-webui.json", "title": "Jan vs TextGen", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-text-generation-webui" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/khoj-vs-vllm.json", "title": "Khoj vs vLLM", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/khoj-vs-vllm" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-vllm.json", "title": "KoboldCpp vs vLLM", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-vllm" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lemonade-vs-vllm.json", "title": "Lemonade vs vLLM", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lemonade-vs-vllm" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/llama-cpp-vs-vllm.json", "title": "llama.cpp vs vLLM", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/llama-cpp-vs-vllm" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lm-studio-vs-vllm.json", "title": "LM Studio vs vLLM", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lm-studio-vs-vllm" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/localai-vs-vllm.json", "title": "LocalAI vs vLLM", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/localai-vs-vllm" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mlx-lm-vs-vllm.json", "title": "MLX LM vs vLLM", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mlx-lm-vs-vllm" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ollama-vs-vllm.json", "title": "Ollama vs vLLM", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ollama-vs-vllm" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/open-webui-vs-vllm.json", "title": "Open WebUI vs vLLM", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/open-webui-vs-vllm" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/screenpipe-vs-vllm.json", "title": "screenpipe vs vLLM", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/screenpipe-vs-vllm" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/text-generation-webui-vs-vllm.json", "title": "TextGen vs vLLM", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/text-generation-webui-vs-vllm" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-underdog.json", "title": "Jan vs Underdog", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-underdog" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/underdog-vs-vllm.json", "title": "Underdog vs vLLM", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/underdog-vs-vllm" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 6, "edge": "jan", "jan": 68, "key": "reliability", "name": "Reliability", "vllm": 62, "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 12, "edge": "vllm", "jan": 56, "key": "schema", "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "vllm": 68, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 18, "edge": "vllm", "jan": 46, "key": "ergonomics", "name": "Agent ergonomics", "vllm": 64, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 7, "edge": "vllm", "jan": 43, "key": "security", "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "vllm": 50, "weight": 14 }, { "by": 0, "edge": "", "jan": 60, "key": "payments", "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "vllm": 60, "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 41, "edge": "vllm", "jan": 47, "key": "maintenance", "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "vllm": 88, "weight": 7 }, { "by": 1, "edge": "jan", "jan": 68, "key": "transparency", "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "vllm": 67, "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "vLLM scores 57.7 (C) on agent readiness against Jan's 51.3 (D), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Jan leads on reliability. Both do local inference.", "verdicts": { "jan": "Apache-2.0, with installers for macOS, Windows and Linux plus Flathub and the Microsoft Store. No release since 0.8.4 on 23 July 2026, while a security fix waits on main.", "vllm": "Apache-2.0 software with a release about every two weeks, each with notes that list breaking changes and security fixes. The optional API key covers only some path prefixes, so `/invocations` and control routes such as `/pause` answer without it, and at least 81 security advisories were published in the 12 months to 9 October 2026." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-vllm", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-vllm.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-vllm.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-vllm.min.md" }, "markdown": "vLLM scores 57.7 (C) on agent readiness against Jan's 51.3 (D), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Jan leads on reliability. Both do local inference.\n\n- Jan: grade D, 51.3/100, rank #753 of 950. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/jan.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/jan.json\n- vLLM: grade C, 57.7/100, rank #600 of 950. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/vllm.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/vllm.json\n- Best local AI models and assistants: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/local-ai/index.md\n- All 184 local ai comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/local-ai/index.md\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### Jan (D)\n\nGood for: A person who wants an open-source desktop app for local and cloud models with MCP, and an OpenAI-compatible endpoint for their own tools.\n\nAhead on:\n- Reliability, 68 against 62\n\nWatch for: No release since 0.8.4 on 23 July 2026, while a security fix waits on main\n\n### vLLM (C)\n\nGood for: An owner with a GPU server who wants many concurrent requests against one open-weight model behind OpenAI or Anthropic compatible routes.\n\nAhead on:\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 68 against 56\n- Agent ergonomics, 64 against 46\n- Security \u0026 auth, 50 against 43\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 88 against 47\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- No key needed to call it\n\nWatch for: `--api-key` guards only the `/v1`, `/v2`, `/inference` and `/cohere` prefixes. `/invocations`, `/pooling`, `/classify`, `/score`, `/rerank`, `/pause` and `/update_weights` answer without it\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Jan | vLLM | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 68 | 62 | Jan +6 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 56 | 68 | vLLM +12 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 46 | 64 | vLLM +18 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 43 | 50 | vLLM +7 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 60 | 60 | even |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 47 | 88 | vLLM +41 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 68 | 67 | Jan +1 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | -4 | -6 | |\n| **Total** | | **51.3 · D** | **57.7 · C** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Jan | vLLM |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | Model platform | HTTP API |\n| Vendor | Menlo Research | vLLM project (PyTorch Foundation) |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |\n| Transports | HTTP | HTTP |\n| Auth | API key | None |\n| Pricing | Free | Free |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | no | no |\n| Last release | 2026-07-23 | 2026-10-02 |\n| Terms last updated | no document linked | no document linked |\n| Privacy policy last updated | 2025-01-16 | no document linked |\n| Customer content may train models | | |\n| Terms restrict automated access | | |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | | |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | | |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | | |\n| Popularity | 45k stars | 93k stars |\n| Agent reviews | 2/5 (2) | none |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**Jan.** Apache-2.0, with installers for macOS, Windows and Linux plus Flathub and the Microsoft Store. No release since 0.8.4 on 23 July 2026, while a security fix waits on main.\n\n**vLLM.** Apache-2.0 software with a release about every two weeks, each with notes that list breaking changes and security fixes. The optional API key covers only some path prefixes, so `/invocations` and control routes such as `/pause` answer without it, and at least 81 security advisories were published in the 12 months to 9 October 2026.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### Jan\n\n1. Ask the owner to start the server (Settings, Local API Server) or run `jan serve`. Nothing listens until then\n2. Call http://127.0.0.1:1337/v1 for the app and localhost:6767/v1 for `jan serve`. The ports differ\n3. Read /openapi.json from the running server, not the spec on the docs site, which describes the retired Cortex API\n4. Branch on the status code. Error bodies are plain text\n5. Keep the bind at 127.0.0.1 on 0.8.4. Trusted Hosts is ignored on 0.0.0.0 until the next release\n\n### vLLM\n\n1. Put a reverse proxy that allowlists routes in front of the server. `--api-key` leaves `/invocations` and the control routes open\n2. Pass `--host 127.0.0.1` for single-machine use. With no `--host` the server listens on every interface\n3. Set `VLLM_NO_USAGE_STATS=1` or `DO_NOT_TRACK=1` before starting if nothing should be sent to stats.vllm.ai\n4. Start with `--enable-auto-tool-choice` and the `--tool-call-parser` for the model before sending tools. Tool calling is off without them\n5. Send `max_tokens` on every request, and read the breaking changes section of the release notes before upgrading a minor version\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Jan or vLLM?\n\nvLLM scores 57.7 (C) on agent readiness against Jan's 51.3 (D), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Jan leads on reliability.\n\n### Can an agent call Jan and vLLM without installing anything?\n\nNo hosted endpoint is listed for Jan. No hosted endpoint is listed for vLLM.\n\n### Are Jan and vLLM open source?\n\nYes. Jan is open source (Apache-2.0). vLLM is open source (Apache-2.0).\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-vllm.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-vllm.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"jan\", \"b\": \"vllm\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare jan vllm`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/jan.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/vllm.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Jan or vLLM\n\n- [AnythingLLM vs Jan](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/anythingllm-vs-jan.md)\n- [AnythingLLM vs vLLM](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/anythingllm-vs-vllm.md)\n- [Docker Model Runner vs Jan](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-jan.md)\n- [Docker Model Runner vs vLLM](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-vllm.md)\n- [Foundry Local vs Jan](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-jan.md)\n- [Foundry Local vs vLLM](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/foundry-local-vs-vllm.md)\n- [Core vs Jan](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ghost-core-vs-jan.md)\n- [Core vs vLLM](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ghost-core-vs-vllm.md)\n- [GPT4All vs Jan](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gpt4all-vs-jan.md)\n- [GPT4All vs vLLM](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gpt4all-vs-vllm.md)\n- [Jan vs Khoj](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-khoj.md)\n- [Jan vs KoboldCpp](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-koboldcpp.md)\n- [Jan vs Lemonade](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-lemonade.md)\n- [Jan vs llama.cpp](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-llama-cpp.md)\n- [Jan vs LM Studio](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-lm-studio.md)\n- [Jan vs LocalAI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-localai.md)\n- [Jan vs MLX LM](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-mlx-lm.md)\n- [Jan vs Ollama](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-ollama.md)\n- [Jan vs Open WebUI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-open-webui.md)\n- [Jan vs screenpipe](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-screenpipe.md)\n- [Jan vs TextGen](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-text-generation-webui.md)\n- [Khoj vs vLLM](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/khoj-vs-vllm.md)\n- [KoboldCpp vs vLLM](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/koboldcpp-vs-vllm.md)\n- [Lemonade vs vLLM](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lemonade-vs-vllm.md)\n- [llama.cpp vs vLLM](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/llama-cpp-vs-vllm.md)\n- [LM Studio vs vLLM](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lm-studio-vs-vllm.md)\n- [LocalAI vs vLLM](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/localai-vs-vllm.md)\n- [MLX LM vs vLLM](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mlx-lm-vs-vllm.md)\n- [Ollama vs vLLM](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ollama-vs-vllm.md)\n- [Open WebUI vs vLLM](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/open-webui-vs-vllm.md)\n- [screenpipe vs vLLM](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/screenpipe-vs-vllm.md)\n- [TextGen vs vLLM](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/text-generation-webui-vs-vllm.md)\n- [Jan vs Underdog](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-underdog.md)\n- [Underdog vs vLLM](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/underdog-vs-vllm.md)\n", "meta": { "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)", "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/", "generatedAt": "2026-10-10", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "method": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/", "methodology": "0.4", "openapi": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/openapi.json", "preview": false, "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run" }, "page": { "breadcrumbs": [ { "name": "Home", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/" }, { "name": "Compare", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/" }, { "name": "Jan vs vLLM", "url": "" } ], "description": "vLLM scores 57.7 (C) to Jan's 51.3 (D) for local inference. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "Jan D 51.3", "vLLM C 57.7", "scores" ], "h1": "Jan vs vLLM", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-jan-vs-vllm.png", "path": "/compare/jan-vs-vllm", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "Jan vs vLLM for AI agents in 2026: scores and prices | Anchor Terminal", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-09", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-vllm" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2350, "slim": 530 }, "version": 1 }