LobeChat — Modern AI Chat Framework & Agent Hub

What it is

LobeChat is an open-source AI chat framework built with Next.js that provides a polished chat interface, multi-agent collaboration, and a plugin marketplace. It supports over 70 model providers including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and local models.

LobeChat targets developers and teams who want a self-hosted chat interface with features like TTS, vision, file upload, and an agent marketplace -- without vendor lock-in to any single LLM provider.

How it saves time or tokens

LobeChat provides a ready-to-use chat UI that would take weeks to build from scratch. The plugin system and agent marketplace let you extend functionality without writing custom integration code. Token usage is managed per-conversation with built-in token counting and model switching.

How to use

1. Run LobeChat with Docker:

docker run -d -p 3210:3210 lobehub/lobe-chat

1. Open http://localhost:3210 and add your API key.

1. Start chatting, install plugins, or browse the agent marketplace.

Example

# Deploy LobeChat with environment variables
docker run -d -p 3210:3210 \
  -e OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-your-key \
  -e OPENAI_PROXY_URL=https://api.openai.com/v1 \
  -e ACCESS_CODE=your-access-code \
  lobehub/lobe-chat

# Or deploy to Vercel with one click
# Visit: https://github.com/lobehub/lobe-chat
# Click 'Deploy to Vercel' button

Related on TokRepo

• AI Tools for Agents -- Agent frameworks and orchestration tools
• AI Tools for Content -- Content generation and chat interfaces

Common pitfalls

• LobeChat stores data in the browser by default (IndexedDB). For persistent server-side storage, configure a PostgreSQL database.
• The Docker image exposes port 3210. If running behind a reverse proxy, ensure WebSocket connections are forwarded correctly for real-time features.
• Some plugins require their own API keys or backend services. Check plugin documentation before installing to avoid broken integrations.