Merlin alternatives · AI Assistants
Self-hosted alternatives to Merlin
The Merlin listing does not say it can be self-hosted. 9 of the 87 other AI assistants in this directory can be self-hosted, according to their own sites.
Merlin's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site. All of them are free or have a free plan.
9 tools · Listings checked up to Nov 13, 2026 · Where the facts come from
How each one differs from Merlin
- Free plan · from $9/mo
HuggingChat
Hugging Face's open-source chat app for open AI models
- Only Merlin lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Merlin lists a browser extension.
- HuggingChat is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Free plan
Open WebUI
Self-hosted chat interface for local and cloud AI models
- Only Open WebUI lists a Linux app.
- Only Merlin lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Merlin lists a browser extension.
- Open WebUI is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Free plan · from $39 one-time
TypingMind
Chat interface for AI models that runs on your own API keys
- Only Merlin lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Merlin lists a browser extension.
- TypingMind is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- TypingMind can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Free
LibreChat
Open-source, self-hosted chat interface for many AI providers
- Only Merlin lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Merlin lists a browser extension.
- LibreChat is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Free plan · from $50/mo
AnythingLLM
Open-source AI app for documents, agents and local models
- Only AnythingLLM lists a Linux app.
- Only Merlin lists an iOS app.
- Only Merlin lists a browser extension.
- AnythingLLM is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Free plan · from $9/mo
Big-AGI
Multi-model AI workspace that compares and merges answers
- Only Merlin lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Merlin lists a browser extension.
- Big-AGI is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Merlin also covers AI search and AI agents.
- Free plan
NextChat
Lightweight open-source AI chat client you can self-deploy
- Only NextChat lists a Linux app.
- Only Merlin lists an Android app.
- Only Merlin lists a browser extension.
- NextChat is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Free
LocalAI
Open-source runtime for running AI models on your own hardware
- Only LocalAI lists a Linux app.
- Only Merlin lists Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Merlin lists a browser extension.
- LocalAI is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Free
SillyTavern
Free, self-hosted chat interface for LLMs with deep prompt control
- Only SillyTavern lists a Linux app.
- Only Merlin lists an iOS app.
- Only Merlin lists a browser extension.
- SillyTavern is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
Common questions
Is there a self-hosted alternative to Merlin?
Yes. HuggingChat, Open WebUI, TypingMind, LibreChat, AnythingLLM, Big-AGI, NextChat, LocalAI and 1 more can be self-hosted, according to their own sites.
Can Merlin be self-hosted?
The Merlin listing does not say it can be self-hosted. The listing was checked on Oct 5, 2026 against the pages it cites.
When was this checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 5, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Vendors change prices and plans without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.
This page is built from the listings. A tool is here because its listing says so, and the order is how close each is to Merlin: the alternatives its listing names first, then the tools that share the most features with it.