Open-source alternatives to ChatGPT
Looking to replace ChatGPT with something free and open-source? These 5 tools are the best open alternatives in 2026 — most are self-hostable, so you keep full control of your data and pay no subscription.
At a glance: how they compare
Click a column to sort — the best one depends on what matters to you.
| Alternative | Stars | Language | License | Last commit | In one line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| openclaw | — | — | — | — | Your own personal AI assistant. Any OS. Any Platform. The lobster way. 🦞 |
| CowAgent | — | — | MIT | — | Open-source super AI assistant & Agent Harness. Plans tasks, runs tools and skills, self-evolves with memory and knowledge. Multi-model, multi-channel. Lightweight, extensible, one-line install. (formerly chatgpt-on-wechat) |
| jan | — | — | — | — | Jan is an open source alternative to ChatGPT that runs 100% offline on your computer. |
| LibreChat | — | — | MIT | — | Enhanced ChatGPT Clone: Features Agents, MCP, Skills, DeepSeek, Anthropic, AWS, OpenAI, Responses API, Azure, Groq, o1, GPT-5, Mistral, OpenRouter, Vertex AI, Gemini, Artifacts, AI model switching, message search, Code Interpreter, langchain, DALL-E-3, OpenAPI |
| llama-gpt | — | — | MIT | — | A self-hosted, offline, ChatGPT-like chatbot. Powered by Llama 2. 100% private, with no data leaving your device. New: Code Llama support! |
Which one should you pick?
openclaw
Your own personal AI assistant. Any OS. Any Platform. The lobster way. 🦞 Because it is self-hostable, your data can stay entirely on your own infrastructure.
CowAgent
Open-source super AI assistant & Agent Harness. Plans tasks, runs tools and skills, self-evolves with memory and knowledge. Multi-model, multi-channel. Lightweight, extensible, one-line install. (formerly chatgpt-on-wechat) Its MIT license is permissive — free to use commercially, embed and modify. Because it is self-hostable, your data can stay entirely on your own infrastructure.
jan
Jan is an open source alternative to ChatGPT that runs 100% offline on your computer. Because it is self-hostable, your data can stay entirely on your own infrastructure.
LibreChat
Enhanced ChatGPT Clone: Features Agents, MCP, Skills, DeepSeek, Anthropic, AWS, OpenAI, Responses API, Azure, Groq, o1, GPT-5, Mistral, OpenRouter, Vertex AI, Gemini, Artifacts, AI model switching, message search, Code Interpreter, langchain, DALL-E-3, OpenAPI Its MIT license is permissive — free to use commercially, embed and modify. Because it is self-hostable, your data can stay entirely on your own infrastructure.
llama-gpt
A self-hosted, offline, ChatGPT-like chatbot. Powered by Llama 2. 100% private, with no data leaving your device. New: Code Llama support! Its MIT license is permissive — free to use commercially, embed and modify. Because it is self-hostable, your data can stay entirely on your own infrastructure.
Switching from ChatGPT without the drama
- Export your data from ChatGPT first — most tools above can import standard formats.
- Run your top pick in parallel for a week or two before committing; self-hosted options can be tried locally in minutes.
- Migrate one team or one project at a time, keeping the old account read-only until everything checks out.
FAQ
What is the best open-source alternative to ChatGPT?
The top open-source alternative is openclaw — Your own personal AI assistant. Any OS. Any Platform. The lobster way. 🦞. The full ranked list is above.
Are these ChatGPT alternatives free?
Yes. Every tool listed is open-source and free to use; most can be self-hosted so you keep full control of your data.
Can I self-host an alternative to ChatGPT?
Most of these tools are designed to run on your own server or machine, giving you privacy and no subscription fees.
More open-source alternatives
Browse open-source replacements for dozens of popular tools — design, productivity, dev, analytics and more.
See all alternatives →