Chatbot UI — Open Source AI Chat Interface for Any Model

Introduction

Chatbot UI is a self-hosted web-based chat interface for interacting with multiple AI models. Built with Next.js and designed for simplicity, it provides a clean conversational UI that connects to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and other providers through a unified experience.

What Chatbot UI Does

• Provides a responsive chat UI for conversing with LLMs from multiple providers
• Manages conversation threads with folder organization and search
• Supports system prompt customization and model parameter tuning per conversation
• Enables file uploads and multi-modal interactions where supported by the model
• Stores data in Supabase for persistent cross-device access

Architecture Overview

Chatbot UI is built with Next.js 14, React, and Tailwind CSS. It uses Supabase for authentication and data persistence, storing conversations, prompts, and user settings in a PostgreSQL backend. API calls to LLM providers are routed through Next.js server actions, keeping API keys server-side.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Clone the repository and configure Supabase credentials in the .env.local file
• Set up a Supabase project with the provided migration scripts for the database schema
• Add API keys for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or other providers
• Deploy on Vercel or any Node.js hosting platform
• Customize available models and default settings through environment variables

Key Features

• Multi-provider support for OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity models
• Conversation organization with folders, search, and export
• Custom prompt library with reusable system prompts
• Supabase-backed persistence for cross-device sync
• Responsive design that works on desktop and mobile browsers

Comparison with Similar Tools

• NextChat — client-side storage by default; Chatbot UI uses Supabase for server-side persistence
• Open WebUI — targets Ollama and local models; Chatbot UI focuses on cloud API providers
• LibreChat — more built-in plugins and tools; Chatbot UI is lighter and simpler to deploy
• LobeChat — richer plugin ecosystem; Chatbot UI offers a cleaner minimal interface
• TypingMind — commercial product; Chatbot UI is fully open source

FAQ

Q: Do I need Supabase to run Chatbot UI? A: Yes, Supabase is required for authentication and data storage. A free-tier Supabase project works for personal use.

Q: Which AI models are supported? A: OpenAI GPT models, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, Perplexity, and any OpenAI-compatible endpoint.

Q: Can I self-host without Vercel? A: Yes. It runs on any platform that supports Next.js, including Docker and traditional Node.js hosting.

Q: Is there a mobile app? A: No native app, but the web UI is responsive and works well on mobile browsers.

Sources

• https://github.com/mckaywrigley/chatbot-ui
• https://www.chatbotui.com