FAQ
Is Boltjar free?
Section titled “Is Boltjar free?”Yes. It is open source under AGPL-3.0-or-later with a node pack exception. The models you connect may cost money: cloud providers bill you for what your graphs send them.
Do I need an API key?
Section titled “Do I need an API key?”No. With Ollama, chat, tool calls and embeddings run on your machine. With no model at all, the LLM node answers with a mock reply, so you can build and test a graph before you connect anything. Voice (TTS and STT) is the exception today: it needs an xAI, Fish Audio or ElevenLabs key.
Which models can I use?
Section titled “Which models can I use?”The ones your providers offer, read live: the models installed in Ollama and the ones your xAI, Anthropic or OpenAI key reaches show up in the model pickers on their own, and so do the models of any OpenAI-compatible server (OpenRouter, Groq, LM Studio, llama.cpp, vLLM) you add as an endpoint in Settings › AI Providers. No model is ever picked for you: an LLM with none picked answers with the free offline mock. Models says when the list refreshes.
Does Boltjar send anything about me anywhere?
Section titled “Does Boltjar send anything about me anywhere?”No. There is no telemetry, no analytics and no account. The editor only talks to the Boltjar server on your machine. The server reaches out only to what you set up: the models and URLs your wired nodes call, the providers you add a key for and the endpoints you add (each is also asked which models it offers), Ollama at its address, and the downloads you start in Settings › AI Providers. The start script downloads what it needs to install (Python packages, the editor’s npm packages, and a portable Python if you have none).
Which systems does it run on?
Section titled “Which systems does it run on?”Windows, macOS and Linux. A few nodes are Windows-only: Window Capture and Foreground Window. Screen Capture is cross-platform.
Does a graph keep running when I close the browser?
Section titled “Does a graph keep running when I close the browser?”Yes. A graph runs in the Boltjar server, not in the tab. It stops when you turn it Off, close its tab in the editor, or stop the server. See On, Off and Restart.
Can other machines use my Boltjar?
Section titled “Can other machines use my Boltjar?”It listens on this machine only, on purpose. Webhooks can be exposed on their own, behind a proxy with TLS; the editor should not be. Security explains how and why.
Where are my graphs?
Section titled “Where are my graphs?”In user/graphs/, one JSON file each, with snapshots in user/autosave/. Stores and files live in user/data/. Git ignores all of user/, so updates never touch it. See Examples and your graphs.
Can I use Boltjar at work, or sell what I build with it?
Section titled “Can I use Boltjar at work, or sell what I build with it?”Yes. You can use Boltjar for anything, commercial work included. If you distribute Boltjar or a changed version of it, or run a changed version as a network service, you share that version’s source under the same license. Your own node packs, model manifests and graphs are yours to license however you want. The details are in LICENSE-EXCEPTION.md, and the name and logo in the trademark note.
How is it different from ComfyUI or n8n?
Section titled “How is it different from ComfyUI or n8n?”It borrows from both: ComfyUI’s typed node graph that you rewire freely, and n8n’s triggers that keep a workflow running. Boltjar and ComfyUI and Boltjar and n8n go through it.
How do I add my own node?
Section titled “How do I add my own node?”Write a node pack: a folder with a pack.toml and a Python file, dropped into packs/. Build a node pack walks through it.
Where do I ask a question or report a bug?
Section titled “Where do I ask a question or report a bug?”Questions go to Discussions Q&A, bugs to a new issue, ideas to Discussions Ideas. Anything else: hello@boltjar.link.
How can I support Boltjar?
Section titled “How can I support Boltjar?”Sponsor it on GitHub. Clear bug reports, node packs and doc fixes help just as much.