Jan is building a sustainable business that aligns our incentives with our users’ success. We believe the best way to build beneficial AI is to ensure our business model reinforces our values: privacy, ownership, and universal access.

Our Business Model

1. Open Core Foundation

Jan Desktop is free forever

  • Download and run AI models locally
  • No subscriptions, no accounts required
  • Full privacy and ownership of your data
  • Community-driven development

This isn’t a loss leader—it’s our foundation. A thriving open-source community creates:

  • Trust through transparency
  • Innovation through collaboration
  • Distribution without marketing spend
  • Feedback loops that improve the product

2. Premium Features & Services

We monetize through optional add-ons that enhance the Jan experience:

Jan Cloud (Coming Soon)

  • Optional cloud sync across devices
  • Managed model hosting for teams
  • Advanced collaboration features
  • Pay only for what you use

Enterprise Support

  • Priority support and SLAs
  • Custom model deployment
  • Air-gapped installations
  • Compliance and audit tools

Professional Tools

  • Advanced model fine-tuning interfaces
  • Team management and permissions
  • Analytics and usage insights
  • API rate limit increases

3. Model Marketplace

Curated Model Hub

  • Premium access to specialized models
  • Early access to new model releases
  • Commercial licensing for enterprise models
  • Revenue sharing with model creators

We use Jan Exam to ensure quality—whether models are free or paid, they must meet our standards.

4. Hardware Integration

Optimized Hardware Solutions

  • Pre-configured devices for AI inference
  • Plug-and-play AI workstations
  • Edge deployment solutions
  • Partnership with hardware manufacturers

5. Training & Certification

Jan Certified Program

  • Professional certification for developers
  • Enterprise training workshops
  • Educational institution partnerships
  • Community education initiatives

Revenue Philosophy

What We’ll Never Do

  • Sell your data: Your conversations remain private
  • Lock you in: Always provide export and migration tools
  • Paywall core features: Local AI remains free
  • Compromise on privacy: No ads, no tracking, no surveillance

What We Always Do

  • Align incentives: We succeed when you succeed with AI
  • Transparent pricing: Clear, predictable costs
  • Community first: Free tier remains fully functional
  • Open standards: No proprietary lock-in

Unit Economics

Our approach creates sustainable unit economics:

  1. Zero marginal cost for open-source users
  2. High-margin cloud and enterprise services
  3. Network effects as community grows
  4. Reduced CAC through open-source distribution

The Flywheel

Open Source Adoption → Community Growth → Better Models →
More Users → Enterprise Adoption → Revenue → Investment in Open Source

Each turn of the wheel strengthens the next:

  • More users improve models through feedback
  • Better models attract enterprise customers
  • Enterprise revenue funds open development
  • Open development attracts more users

Long-term Vision

We’re building for a future where:

  • Every organization runs their own AI
  • Privacy is the default, not premium
  • Open models outperform closed ones
  • AI infrastructure is as common as web servers

Our business model ensures we’ll be here to see it through.

Current Status

As of 2024:

  • ✅ Sustainable open-source project
  • ✅ Growing community adoption
  • 🚧 Enterprise features in development
  • 🚧 Cloud services in beta
  • 📅 Hardware partnerships planned

Join Our Mission

Whether you’re a:

  • User: Your adoption drives our mission
  • Contributor: Your code shapes our platform
  • Customer: Your success funds development
  • Partner: Your integration expands possibilities

You’re part of building the open superintelligence economy.

“The best business model is one where doing the right thing is also the profitable thing. That’s what we’re building at Jan.”