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SideKick vs Jan

Side-by-side comparison for macOS

SideKick

8.0
Developer Tools

AI chat panel

Jan

8.0
Productivity

Offline AI chat tool

Metric SideKick Jan
Category Developer Tools Productivity
AI Score 8.0 8.0
30-day Installs 6 412
90-day Installs 22 1.1K
365-day Installs 22 3.8K
Version 3.0 0.8.4
Auto-updates Yes Yes
Deprecated No No
GitHub Stars 3.3K 40.9K
GitHub Forks 144 2.6K
Open Issues 35 269
License MIT NOASSERTION
Language Swift TypeScript
Last GitHub Commit 3mo ago 5mo ago
First Seen Jul 23, 2026 Mar 4, 2024

Reviews

SideKick

SideKick is a local AI chat panel for macOS that enables users to interact with a local language model without additional software, making it ideal for privacy-conscious users who want on-device AI capabilities.

Enables users to chat with a local LLM using files, folders, and websites on their Mac.

Pros

  • + Local AI processing for privacy
  • + Swift-based native macOS app
  • + MIT license for open-source flexibility

Cons

  • - No community presence on Reddit
  • - Low recent installs (0 in last 30 days)

Jan

Jan is an open-source, offline AI chat tool offering a ChatGPT alternative, ideal for those prioritizing privacy and local computation.

Jan provides an offline AI chat experience, allowing users to interact with an AI model locally on their computer.

Pros

  • + Open-source and offline functionality
  • + Active development with frequent updates
  • + Privacy-focused alternative to online AI services

Cons

  • - A significant number of open issues may indicate ongoing development challenges
  • - Limited direct community discussion on major platforms