User-friendly AI Interface, supports Ollama, OpenAI API.
- BSD-3-Clause
- Python
- Docker
- Actively maintained
AI & LLM Tools comparison
Open WebUI vs LibreChat: which should you self-host in 2026?
Pick Open WebUI for a polished ChatGPT-style front end centred on local models via Ollama; pick LibreChat for a multi-provider chat app with agents and a permissive MIT license.
Both are open source and run on your own server. Below: a side-by-side of license, stack and features, live GitHub activity, and our verdict on who should pick which.
Enhanced ChatGPT-compatible AI chat interface supporting multiple AI providers, with multi-user auth, message search, and plugin support.
- MIT
- TypeScript
- Docker
- Actively maintained
Head-to-head
Open WebUI vs LibreChat, side by side
Hand-checked differences first, then live numbers from GitHub, refreshed with every catalog update.
| Aspect |  Open WebUI |  LibreChat |
|---|---|---|
| License | Open WebUI License: BSD-3-style plus a clause forbidding branding removal above 50 users (older code stays BSD-3) | MIT |
| Language/stack | Python (FastAPI) backend with a Svelte front end | Node.js backend with a React front end |
| Database | SQLite by default, PostgreSQL supported | MongoDB required, with Meilisearch for conversation search |
| Model providers | Ollama built in, plus any OpenAI-compatible API | OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Azure, AWS Bedrock, Ollama and other custom endpoints |
| Standout features | Built-in RAG on documents, pipelines and functions, model builder, role-based access | Agents with MCP tool support, artifacts, presets and conversation forking |
| GitHub stars | 154,037 | 45,318 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 4,746 | 2,074 |
| Last commit | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
| Latest release | v0.11.4Sep 21, 2026 | v0.8.8Oct 1, 2026 |
| Main language | Python | TypeScript |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| Repository | open-webui/open-webui | LibreChat-AI/LibreChat |
Swipe the table sideways to see both apps. GitHub figures come from the public API. Highlighted values are the higher of the two.
Verdict
Open WebUI is the quickest way to put a friendly chat interface, RAG and user management on top of Ollama or any OpenAI-compatible server. LibreChat fits teams that mix many hosted providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Azure, Bedrock) and want agents and MCP tools under a plain MIT license. Check Open WebUI's branding clause if you plan to white-label it for more than 50 users.
Best for
Choose Open WebUI for
Running local LLMs from Ollama with a polished, all-in-one UI.
Best for
Choose LibreChat for
Teams mixing many cloud AI providers who want an MIT-licensed app.
Deploy either in minutes
Not sure yet? Spin up a small VPS or a managed instance, try both for a week, and keep the one that fits.
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Is Open WebUI still open source?
Its code is public and mostly BSD-3-style, but since 2025 the Open WebUI License forbids removing its branding for deployments with more than 50 users in 30 days unless you have permission or an enterprise license. Code from before the change keeps the original BSD-3 terms.
Which is easier to deploy?
Open WebUI runs as a single Docker container with SQLite. LibreChat's Docker Compose setup also starts MongoDB and Meilisearch, so it has more moving parts.
Can both use local models?
Yes. Open WebUI connects to Ollama natively, and LibreChat supports Ollama and other OpenAI-compatible servers as custom endpoints.
Which is more popular on GitHub, Open WebUI or LibreChat?
Open WebUI has 154,037 GitHub stars against 45,318 for LibreChat. Over the last twelve months Open WebUI received 4,746 commits and LibreChat received 2,074, so Open WebUI is the more actively developed of the two right now. Stars measure interest, not fit, so weigh them against the differences above.
