tools
Open WebUI Review 2026 — Best Self-Hosted AI Chat Interface
Open WebUI is a free, self-hosted ChatGPT alternative with RAG, multi-user support, and plugin extensions. Deploys in seconds via Docker. 40K+ GitHub stars.
Open WebUI provides a browser-based interface for running AI on infrastructure you control. It connects to Ollama, OpenAI, Anthropic, and other compatible providers, and supports chat, model management, tools, retrieval, files, voice, vision, and image generation.
It is used by individuals, developers, teams, and organizations that want a shared interface for local or hosted models. The software is free to deploy as-is; enterprise licensing, support, and branding options are available, but no official pricing page was found during this search.
Features
- Connects to Ollama, OpenAI, Anthropic, and OpenAI-compatible providers
- Provides chat, model management, files, knowledge collections, and RAG
- Supports tools, MCP servers, OpenAPI tool servers, and Python functions
- Offers OpenAI-compatible and Anthropic-compatible API endpoints
- Includes voice, vision, image generation, search, and code execution
- Supports SSO, RBAC, audit logs, on-premises, and air-gapped deployment
- Runs as a browser-based Progressive Web App on desktop and mobile
- Open WebUI License with branding-protection clause
Use cases
- Run local language models through a shared web interface
- Connect multiple cloud and self-hosted model providers
- Build retrieval-based assistants over files and knowledge collections
- Automate chat, model, file, and RAG workflows through the API
- Deploy AI tools for teams with access controls and audit logs
- Use MCP, OpenAPI, or Python tools in model-driven workflows
Pros
Cons
Latest updates
- v0.13.0 (v0.13.0)
Added a tabbed workspace for files, terminals, artifacts, previews, voice calls and comments, plus a Desktop tab for connected Open Terminal.
- v0.12.5 (v0.12.5)
Admin Analytics adds a session explorer, and notes support pages and show who else has them open.
- v0.12.4 (v0.12.4)
Selected skills can load on demand, and chats mark where context was compacted.
- v0.12.3 (v0.12.3)
Direct messages and private group channels can hold temporary end-to-end encrypted chats.
- v0.12.2 (v0.12.2)
MinerU document processing supports self-hosted 4.x servers, and revision comparisons add a Keep both button.
Capabilities
- Chat about your code — “Chat with Ollama, OpenAI, Anthropic, or any OpenAI-compatible provider from a single interface.” source
- Runs commands — “Run commands, stream output, send input, return later.” source
- Reviews pull requests — “Review diffs, stage, and commit beside the agent.” source
- Command line — “pip install open-webui && open-webui serve” source
- Choice of models — “Talk to any model, switch mid-conversation, and keep your context intact.” source
- Self-hosted — “Entirely self-hostable” source
- API — “This guide provides essential information on how to interact with the API endpoints effectively to achieve seamless integration and automation using our models.” source
- Builds agents and workflows — “Every agent is a configuration wrapper - pick any base model, bind knowledge, tools, and a system prompt.” source
- Search over your data — “Upload files, build knowledge bases, and let the AI retrieve exactly the information it needs.” source
- Traces and evaluates — “Traces, metrics, and logs to your observability stack” source
Get it
Pricing
- Starting price
- $60/user/yr
- Prices checked
- 2026-10-25
Free
Free
- Use the whole thing free, even at work
- No account, no card, no purchase needed
Supporter
- $60 / seat / year
- Get extras and help fund the work
- Free use stays free
Enterprise
Price on request
- Company-wide rollout with the controls, terms, and procurement a large org needs