# Open WebUI — Self-Hosted AI Chat Platform

> Feature-rich, offline-capable AI interface for Ollama, OpenAI, and local LLMs. Built-in RAG, voice, model builder. 130K+ stars.

## Install

Save in your project root:

# Open WebUI — Self-Hosted AI Chat Platform

## Quick Use

```bash
# Quickest: pip install
pip install open-webui
open-webui serve
```

```bash
# With Docker (recommended for production)
docker run -d -p 3000:8080 \
  -v open-webui:/app/backend/data \
  --name open-webui \
  ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main
```

Open `http://localhost:3000` and create your admin account. Connect Ollama or add your OpenAI/Anthropic API keys in Settings.

## Introduction

Open WebUI is the **most popular self-hosted AI chat interface**, providing a polished ChatGPT-like experience for any LLM. It works completely offline with local models via Ollama, or connects to cloud APIs like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.

Core capabilities:

- **Multi-Model Chat** — Switch between local (Ollama, llama.cpp) and cloud (OpenAI, Anthropic) models in the same conversation
- **Built-in RAG** — Upload documents (PDF, DOCX, TXT) and chat with them using integrated vector search. Supports 9 vector database backends
- **Model Builder** — Create custom Modelfiles from the web UI. Fine-tune system prompts, parameters, and personas
- **Voice & Video** — Built-in speech-to-text and text-to-speech. Have voice conversations with your AI
- **Python Function Tools** — Extend model capabilities with custom Python functions that run server-side
- **Multi-User Support** — Role-based access control, user management, and chat history per user
- **Plugin System** — Pipelines architecture for adding custom processing, filters, and integrations
- **Offline-First** — Runs entirely on your machine or server. No data leaves your infrastructure

130,000+ GitHub stars. 280+ million Docker pulls. The de facto standard for self-hosted AI chat.

## FAQ

**Q: How does Open WebUI compare to LibreChat?**
A: Both are self-hosted chat UIs. Open WebUI has deeper Ollama integration, built-in RAG, voice features, and a model builder. LibreChat focuses on multi-provider API routing. Open WebUI has 10x more stars and community activity.

**Q: Do I need a GPU to run it?**
A: Open WebUI itself doesn't need a GPU — it's just the web interface. If you use cloud APIs (OpenAI, etc.), no GPU needed at all. For local models via Ollama, a GPU significantly improves inference speed.

**Q: Can I use it for a team?**
A: Yes. It supports multi-user mode with admin, user, and pending roles. Each user gets their own chat history and settings. LDAP and OAuth authentication are available.

**Q: Is it really free?**
A: Yes, fully open source and free to self-host. There's an optional cloud plan for managed hosting, but the self-hosted version has all features.

## Works With

- Ollama for local model inference
- OpenAI / Anthropic / Google / any OpenAI-compatible API
- Docker / Kubernetes for deployment
- ChromaDB / Milvus / Qdrant / pgvector for RAG
- Whisper for speech-to-text

## Source & Thanks

- GitHub: [open-webui/open-webui](https://github.com/open-webui/open-webui)
- License: Open WebUI License (MIT-based with branding clause)
- Stars: 130,000+
- Maintainer: Timothy Baek & Open WebUI community

Thanks to Timothy Baek and the Open WebUI community for building the definitive self-hosted AI interface, making it possible for anyone to run a private, feature-rich AI chat platform on their own hardware.


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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/e59ad0e9-fa02-49aa-b148-d62794ff3a78
Author: AI Open Source