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Chat UIs, RAG & agentsOpen WebUI License (BSD-3-Clause based)Python / Svelte

Open WebUI

Self-hosted ChatGPT-style interface for Ollama and OpenAI-compatible APIs.

GitHubWebsite
Stars
155.7K
Forks
22.7K
Open issues
168
Last commit
2026-10-14

Live from the GitHub API · updated 2026-10-15

What is Open WebUI?

Open WebUI is a feature-rich, self-hosted chat interface that works offline with Ollama or any OpenAI-compatible API. It includes RAG over documents, web search, image generation, multi-user permissions, pipelines and a model builder.

Key features

  • Works with Ollama and OpenAI-compatible APIs
  • Built-in RAG, web search and document upload
  • Multi-user with roles and permissions
  • Image generation and voice input

System requirements

Platforms
Docker · Linux · macOS · Windows
Notes
Docker recommended; Python 3.11 for pip installs.

How to install Open WebUI

Summarized from the project’s README. Projects change quickly — check the GitHub page for the latest instructions.

Docker

  1. 1
    Run the container and open http://localhost:3000.
    docker run -d -p 3000:8080 --add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --name open-webui --restart always ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

pip

  1. 1
    Install and start (http://localhost:8080).
    pip install open-webui
open-webui serve

Strengths

  • Most complete self-hosted chat UI
  • Great Ollama integration

Limitations

  • Branding clause in the license for larger deployments

Open WebUI alternatives compared

SoftwareStarsLicensePlatformsVRAM
Open WebUI

Self-hosted ChatGPT-style interface for Ollama and OpenAI-compatible APIs.

155.7KOpen WebUI License (BSD-3-Clause based)—
LibreChat

Open-source ChatGPT clone supporting every major AI provider.

45.7KMIT—
LobeChat

Modern AI chat framework with plugins, knowledge base and agent market.

83.2KLobeHub Community License—
AnythingLLM

All-in-one desktop and Docker app for private document chat and agents.

67.1KMIT—
NextChat

Lightweight cross-platform ChatGPT/Gemini/Claude chat client.

88.8KMIT—
Chatbox

Desktop client for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and local models.

42KGPL-3.0—

FAQ

Is Open WebUI free?

Yes — Open WebUI is open-source software released under the Open WebUI License (BSD-3-Clause based) license. Check the license (and any model weight licenses) before commercial use.

Does Open WebUI run on Windows, Mac and Linux?

Open WebUI supports: Docker, Linux, macOS, Windows.

How do I install Open WebUI?

1. Run the container and open http://localhost:3000.

What are the best Open WebUI alternatives?

Popular alternatives include LibreChat, LobeChat, AnythingLLM, NextChat. See the comparison table on this page.

Open-source chat UIs, RAG and AI agent platforms