Jan is a good local chat app for your computer. Off Grid AI Desktop (OGAD) is a whole local AI studio. It chats, draws images on your GPU, listens and talks back, and answers from your own files with sources. It also has a phone app that syncs with it.
Both are free and open source, and both run offline once a model is on your disk.
Download for Mac, Windows or Linux · GitHub
Free. No account. AGPL-3.0.
What OGAD does that Jan doesn't
| Off Grid AI | Jan | |
|---|---|---|
| Generate images on your GPU | Yes, in the same chat | Not listed |
| Talk to it and hear it answer | Yes, Whisper and Kokoro | Not listed |
| Ask your own files, with cited answers | Yes, in Projects | Not listed |
| iPhone and Android app | Yes | No, desktop only |
| Sync chats between computer and phone | Yes, with Pro | No |
| Images and speech from the local API | Yes, at 127.0.0.1:7878 | Not listed |
Checked 29 October 2026 against Jan's GitHub README (v0.8.8) and Off Grid AI's release notes. "Not listed" means the feature is not on Jan's own pages.
Images from the same window you chat in
Ask for a picture the way you ask a question. OGAD runs image models such as RealVisXL V5.0 Lightning on your graphics card. The image in the screenshot took 6 steps at 1024 by 1024.
You don't install a second tool. You don't paste prompts between apps. Mockups and blog headers come out of the same conversation that wrote the copy.
Jan's README covers local models, assistants, its API and MCP. Image generation is not listed.
Say it out loud, hear the answer
Whisper turns your voice into text on your computer. Kokoro reads the reply back in a natural voice. Neither one sends audio anywhere.
Dictate a draft while you pace. Have a long answer read to you while your eyes rest. It works the same on a plane as it does at your desk.
Answers from your files, with the source shown
Add contracts, papers or meeting notes to a Project. Ask a question. OGAD answers and points to the passage it used, so you can check it before you rely on it.
The files are indexed on your machine. Nothing is uploaded for the search.
The same assistant on your phone
Jan stops at the desktop. Off Grid AI Mobile (OGAM) runs on iPhone and Android with its own on-device models. With Pro, Sync moves your chats and Projects between computer and phone over your own network.
When you're away from your desk, OGAM can also reach the big model on your computer over your home network or VPN. Your phone gets desktop-size answers and the prompts stay on your network.
Keep your developer workflow
If you use Jan for its API, you lose nothing. OGAD runs one OpenAI-compatible API at 127.0.0.1:7878, bound to your own machine. Point your code's base_url at it. Chat, images and speech come from the same endpoint.
OGAD also connects to MCP servers and renders artifacts in the chat. Read how to run a local OpenAI-compatible API on your desktop for the full setup.
Shipping every week
OGAD shipped 12 desktop releases in October 2026. The newest stable build, 0.0.55, landed on 23 October. Since 0.0.55, its AI engines (llama.cpp, whisper.cpp and stable-diffusion.cpp) now update in the background without a new app release. New models reach you sooner.
Switch in five minutes
- Download OGAD for Mac (Apple silicon), Windows or Linux.
- Pick a text model that fits your memory. The app shows what fits before it downloads.
- Ask the question you last asked in Jan.
- Ask for an image. Then press the microphone and say your next question out loud.
No account at any step.
What Pro adds
Pro is optional. It adds searchable memory of your work, meetings and dictation, actions you approve, a Vault and Sync across up to 5 devices. On 29 October 2026 it costs $79.99 once, a limited-time price down from $119, or $7.99 a month. Features differ by computer, so check Pro for yours.
The free app stays free. Chat, images, voice, Projects and the local API never need Pro.
FAQ
Does Jan generate images?
Jan's README lists local models, assistants, an OpenAI-compatible API and MCP. It does not list image generation. Off Grid AI Desktop generates images on your own GPU, offline, from the same chat window.
Is there a Jan app for iPhone or Android?
No. Jan ships for Windows, macOS and Linux. Off Grid AI runs on iPhone and Android as well as Mac, Windows and Linux, and Pro syncs your chats between them.
Does Off Grid AI have a local API like Jan?
Yes. Off Grid AI Desktop runs one OpenAI-compatible API at 127.0.0.1:7878. It serves chat, images and speech, bound to your own machine.
Is Off Grid AI free like Jan?
Yes. The desktop app is free, open source under AGPL-3.0, and needs no account. Pro is optional and adds memory, meetings, approved actions and Sync.
Can I talk to Off Grid AI out loud?
Yes. Whisper turns your speech into text and Kokoro reads answers back, both on your computer with no connection.
Download Off Grid AI Desktop, pick one model, and make your first image without leaving the chat.
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