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Home/Categories/LLMOps & AI Tooling/Open WebUI
icon of Open WebUI

Open WebUI

Open source alternative to Cloudiax Managed LLM, Allganize AI and Tyk AI Studio

Open WebUI is a self-hosted, extensible chat interface for local LLMs via Ollama and any OpenAI-compatible API, with RAG, multi-model switching, and team features. MIT licensed.

139.1K stars
Python
Active this week
Visit websiteGitHub repo
image of Open WebUI
Contents
  1. 01Who Open WebUI is for
  2. 02The problem it solves
  3. 03How it solves it
  4. 04Strengths and trade-offs
  5. 05Install and self-host
  6. 06Tech stack
  7. 07FAQ
  8. 08Similar open-source tools
TL;DR

Open WebUI is a self-hosted chat interface for local and OpenAI-compatible models, with RAG, model switching, plugins, and team controls. It replaces hosted managed LLM workspaces when teams want a ChatGPT-like UI for Ollama, OpenAI-compatible APIs, and private model workflows. The project is source-available, Docker-first, and designed to run offline.Python · 139.1K stars · Active this week

who it's for

Who Open WebUI is for#

Teams giving staff a private AI chat workspace

Open WebUI wraps local or compatible models in a browser UI.

Skip if:

your team already accepts a managed AI workspace and does not need self-hosting.

Developers testing multiple model providers

the UI can switch between Ollama and OpenAI-compatible endpoints.

Skip if:

you need only a command-line model runner.

Organizations building internal RAG tools

document chat and plugin support help turn model access into a usable workflow.

Skip if:

tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages
JavaScriptPythonTypeScript
Frameworks
FastAPISvelte
Databases
MariaDBMongoDBMySQLPostgreSQL
Infrastructure
AWSDocker
Search
ElasticsearchOpenSearch
frequently asked

FAQ#

Does Open WebUI require Ollama?
Can Open WebUI run offline?
What is the easiest way to install Open WebUI?
also worth a look

Similar open-source tools#

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Repository

Stars
139.1K
Forks
19.9K
Latest
v0.9.5
Last commit
3 days ago
Last verified
May 29, 2026
Repo
open-webui/open-webui ↗

Additional details

Language
Python
Open issues
321
Contributors
826
First release
2023

Categories

LLMOps & AI ToolingAI & Machine LearningWeb Development

Tags

LLMRAGSelf HostedChatbotsLLMOpsDeveloper Tools

you need enterprise governance before any pilot.

the problem

The problem it solves#

Teams adopting local models often end up with a gap between model runners and real users. Ollama or an OpenAI-compatible endpoint can serve models, but non-technical teammates still need chat history, file context, permissions, RAG, and a usable browser interface.

Hosted AI workspaces solve the interface problem by moving conversations, documents, and admin controls into a vendor account. That tradeoff is hard to accept when prompts include customer data, internal docs, or regulated information.

how Open WebUI solves it

How it solves it#

Ollama and compatible API support

Connects to Ollama and OpenAI-compatible APIs, including local and cloud-based model providers.

Docker quick start

Docker quick start runs the UI on port 3000 with persistent backend data stored in a named volume.

Built-in RAG support

Built-in RAG support helps users chat with local documents and knowledge sources.

Plugin and tool support

Plugins, tool calling, task models, and Python function support extend chat workflows beyond plain prompts.

Responsive web UI and PWA

Responsive web UI and PWA support make the same instance usable from desktop and mobile browsers.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

  • Chat UI for local modelsOpen WebUI gives local model stacks the user experience that non-technical teammates expect from hosted AI chat tools.
  • Provider flexibilityProvider flexibility makes it practical to mix Ollama, OpenAI-compatible APIs, and other model backends behind one interface.
  • Flexible deployment pathsDocker, Python, Kubernetes, and desktop install paths cover hobby setups through larger internal deployments.
  • Offline-first positioningOffline-first positioning helps teams keep private conversations and documents within controlled infrastructure.

Trade-offs

  • -License review requiredThe repository reports no standard SPDX license through GitHub, so teams should review the project license terms before commercial deployment.
  • -Production hosting work remainsRunning Open WebUI in production still requires model hosting, storage backups, authentication choices, and network security work.
  • -Feature breadth adds admin complexityFeature breadth can create admin complexity if a team only needs a basic local chat UI.
install · self-host

Install and self-host#

bash
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
Cache
Redis

Docker is the recommended path for most users. The official quick start runs the container, exposes the UI on port 3000, and stores persistent data in a Docker volume.

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No. Open WebUI works with Ollama and OpenAI-compatible APIs, so you can connect local or cloud-based model providers. Ollama is common because it makes local model serving simple.

Yes, Open WebUI is designed for self-hosted and offline operation when paired with local models. Any cloud model provider you connect will still require network access.