The Open WebUI Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Open WebUI in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Open WebUI
The Insider’s Guide
Self-hosted chat interface for local and cloud AI models
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI assistants, read from Open WebUI’s own pages.
Made by Open WebUI, Inc. · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Open WebUI’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Open WebUI’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.2
GPA, above 48 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade
Open WebUI is a self-hosted AI platform that you run on your own computer or server and use in a browser. It connects to Ollama, OpenAI, Anthropic or any OpenAI-compatible provider and adds document knowledge bases, web search, code execution, shared channels and Python-based extensions, with multi-user roles and single sign-on. It is free to use with its branding intact, and an enterprise license covers rebranding, enterprise-only offerings and support.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Open WebUI, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You host it yourself, full stop: Docker, pip or Kubernetes, plus your own models or provider API keys, before anyone types a word.
- 1
Best for running AI chat on your own server
There's no hosted version, so it starts with Docker, pip or Kubernetes.
- 2
There is a free plan
Free to self-host with the original Open WebUI branding intact, with no account or enterprise agreement. Deployments of 50 or fewer users in a 30-day period may also rebrand.
- 3
It runs on 4 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows and Linux.
- 4
Any model in one interface
Chats with Ollama, OpenAI, Anthropic or any OpenAI-compatible provider. You can switch models mid-conversation or run two side by side to compare their answers.
- 5
Knowledge bases and RAG
Upload files and build knowledge bases searched with hybrid BM25 and vector search, or inject whole documents. The docs list 13 vector databases and 8 extraction engines.
- 6
Web search and code execution
Models can search the web and cite sources, and run Python in the browser or through Open Terminal, which gives the model a real terminal and filesystem to work in.
- 7
A 3.2 GPA, above 48 of 57
That is against the other AI assistants we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
To replace Open WebUI you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Open WebUI at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux
- Made by
- Open WebUI, Inc.
- Category
- AI Assistants
- Our grade
- 3.2 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for running AI chat on your own server
Open WebUI is a chat interface you run yourself, on your own computer or server, and open in a browser, with any model, knowledge bases from your files, web search, code execution, and roles and single sign-on for a team. There's no hosted version, so it starts with Docker, pip or Kubernetes. The desktop app is early alpha, and since v0.6.6 the license isn't OSI-approved open source.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Nothing to pay, for one person or a whole company, as long as the Open WebUI branding stays exactly put. Paid assistants in this category start around $8 a month. What you do pay for is the models, through your own hardware or a provider's API, and the enterprise licence has no published price. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Free to self-host with no account and no agreement to sign, and deployments of 50 users or fewer in 30 days may even rebrand it. The licence is for bigger rebrands, SLA support and extras like Terminals, so most people never meet it. |
| Features | A | It covers the job and adds things rivals here don't list: any OpenAI-compatible model with two side by side, knowledge bases over your files, cited web search, Python and a terminal the model can drive, MCP servers, channels, and roles with SSO and SCIM. |
| Ease of use | D | You host it yourself, full stop: Docker, pip or Kubernetes, plus your own models or provider API keys, before anyone types a word. The desktop app is labelled early alpha and the docs send real deployments back to Docker or Python. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | A browser once it's running, with early-alpha desktop apps for Mac, Windows and Linux, hooks for Ollama, OpenAI, Anthropic, vLLM and ComfyUI, and API keys for your own scripts. No phone app is listed. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Open WebUI is for
- Fits if your team wants its AI chat on its own servers, even with no internet connection
- Works for people running local models through Ollama who want a browser interface for them
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you don't want to run a server, because there's no hosted version to sign up for
- Not for you if you want a phone app, as none is listed, and the desktop app is labeled early alpha
- Not for you if you want your own branding for more than 50 users, unless you buy an enterprise license
- Watch out: enterprise prices aren't published, and licenses are sold only to registered organizations
- Watch out: since v0.6.6 the license isn't OSI-approved open source, and you supply every model or API key
Good to know
Good for
- Teams that want a chat interface running on their own infrastructure
- Using local models from Ollama through a browser interface
- Organizations that need SSO, roles and on-premises or air-gapped deployment
Worth knowing
- There is no hosted service: you install and run it yourself with Docker, pip or Kubernetes, and supply your own models or provider API keys.
- Since v0.6.6 the license is not OSI-approved open source: deployments with more than 50 users must keep the Open WebUI branding unless they hold an enterprise license.
- The desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux is labeled early alpha, and the docs point production deployments to Docker or Python.
- Enterprise license prices are not published, and licenses are sold only to registered organizations, not individuals.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
2
plans to choose from
Open WebUI has a free plan.
Nothing to pay, for one person or a whole company, as long as the Open WebUI branding stays exactly put.
Standard Use
Free
Self-hosted internal use with the original Open WebUI branding exactly intact. No enterprise agreement is needed.
Enterprise Use
Custom
An enterprise license for white-labeling and rebranding, enterprise-only offerings such as Terminals, SLA support and Long-Term Support. Sold to registered organizations.
The free plan
Free to self-host with the original Open WebUI branding intact, with no account or enterprise agreement. Deployments of 50 or fewer users in a 30-day period may also rebrand.
Read from docs.openwebui.com on Oct 5, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
4
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows and Linux
Self-hosted chat interface for local and cloud AI models. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: self-hostable, works offline, public API, AI features, chat assistant, AI search, AI agents.
- Any model in one interface
- Chats with Ollama, OpenAI, Anthropic or any OpenAI-compatible provider. You can switch models mid-conversation or run two side by side to compare their answers.
- Knowledge bases and RAG
- Upload files and build knowledge bases searched with hybrid BM25 and vector search, or inject whole documents. The docs list 13 vector databases and 8 extraction engines.
- Web search and code execution
- Models can search the web and cite sources, and run Python in the browser or through Open Terminal, which gives the model a real terminal and filesystem to work in.
- Tools, functions and MCP
- Extend it with Python tools and pipelines, MCP servers and OpenAPI endpoints, or install prompts, models, tools and functions shared by the community.
- Multi-user access control
- Roles, groups and per-model permissions, with SSO through OIDC or LDAP, SCIM 2.0 provisioning and API keys for programmatic access.
- Channels and notes
- Channels are shared spaces where teammates and @-tagged models post in one timeline. Notes is an editor whose pages can be attached to a chat as context.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
What it works with
- Ollama
- OpenAI
- Anthropic
- vLLM
- ComfyUI
- ChromaDB
- PGVector
- Docling
Open WebUI is made by Open WebUI, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
48/57
Other AI assistants it is graded above
Open WebUI's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 48 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 4.
It stands best on features (A, above 53 of 57) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 58 AI assistants we grade, cut by the letter each got. Open WebUI’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 38 of 57
- AFree plan and trialAbove 43 of 57
- AFeaturesAbove 53 of 57
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 57
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 23 of 57
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Open WebUI you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.2 is higher than 48 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade.
What you could not
- An AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
- A search engine with an AI model behind it.
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, Ollama, OpenAI and Anthropic among them, and has an API.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: single sign-on, SCIM and roles and permissions.
- The depth: we grade its features A, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Open WebUI’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
LibreChat, AnythingLLM, NextChat, Big-AGI and Jan
The 5 tools Open WebUI is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
LibreChat
Free
Open-source, self-hosted chat interface for many AI providers.
- Only Open WebUI lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- LibreChat is open source, according to its own site.
- 3.2GPA
AnythingLLM
Free plan · from $50/mo
Open-source AI app for documents, agents and local models.
- Only AnythingLLM lists an Android app.
- AnythingLLM is open source, according to its own site.
- Open WebUI also covers AI search.
- 2.8GPA
NextChat
Free plan
Lightweight open-source AI chat client you can self-deploy.
- Only NextChat lists an iOS app.
- NextChat is open source, according to its own site.
- Open WebUI also covers AI search and AI agents.
- 2.4GPA
Big-AGI
Free plan · from $9/mo
Multi-model AI workspace that compares and merges answers.
- Only Open WebUI lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Big-AGI is open source, according to its own site.
- Open WebUI also covers AI search and AI agents.
- 3.0GPA
Jan
Free
Open-source desktop app for running local and cloud AI models.
- Only Open WebUI lists a web app.
- Open WebUI is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Jan is open source, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Open WebUI free?
Open WebUI has a free plan. Free to self-host with the original Open WebUI branding intact, with no account or enterprise agreement.
How much does Open WebUI cost?
Open WebUI lists 2 plans. Standard Use: Free.
What platforms does Open WebUI work on?
Open WebUI is available on Web, macOS, Windows and Linux.
Does Open WebUI have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Open WebUI is listed for Web, macOS, Windows and Linux.
Does Open WebUI have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Open WebUI is listed for Web, macOS, Windows and Linux.
Is Open WebUI open source?
Open WebUI is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Can Open WebUI be self-hosted?
Yes. Open WebUI's own site says it can be run on a server of your own.
Does Open WebUI work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
Does Open WebUI have an API?
Yes. Open WebUI offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Open WebUI integrate with?
Open WebUI's listing names Ollama, OpenAI, Anthropic, vLLM, ComfyUI, ChromaDB, PGVector and Docling.
Who makes Open WebUI?
Open WebUI is made by Open WebUI, Inc.
What are the alternatives to Open WebUI?
The closest alternatives to Open WebUI in our directory are LibreChat, AnythingLLM, NextChat, Big-AGI and Jan.
How does Open WebUI compare with other AI assistants?
Open WebUI's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 48 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 4.
Could I make my own version of Open WebUI?
To replace Open WebUI you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Open WebUI’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Open WebUI's own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-01-30.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Open WebUI, Inc. Prices change, so check openwebui.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Open WebUI, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/open-webui
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Open WebUI: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/open-webui
Know someone choosing between AI assistants?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/open-webui/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI assistants after Open WebUI, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Assistants Insider's GuideEvery one of the 58 AI assistants we grade, compared
- Gemini Insider's GuideGoogle's AI assistant, tied into Gmail, Docs and other Google apps3.8 GPA
- Chatbox Insider's GuideAI chat client for your own API keys or a hosted model plan3.4 GPA
- ChatGPT Insider's GuideOpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant for chat, images and voice3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Open WebUI’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Open WebUI is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Open WebUI, Inc. Prices and plans change: check openwebui.com before you buy.