Open WebUI
Self-hosted chat interface for local and remote models with RAG, tools and user management.
why this verdict
Keep it — OpenAI has not replaced it
OpenAI's version overlaps, but does not finish the AI assistants job, so this one is still worth keeping open.
- A named launch, not a vibe named, unlinked
- ChatGPT Enterprise and Team offering managed deployment with the same features. OpenAI, March 11, 2025 — no announcement link recorded yet.
- How much of the job it covers not the job editorial call
- Parts of it. The job still needs the tool to get finished.
- Is there a free way to do it? yes
- 2 of 3 listed replacements have a usable free tier: LibreChat and AnythingLLM.
- What the call is worth nothing to cancel
- No paid entry tier tracked, so there is no subscription to cancel.
- Threatened by
- OpenAI
- Since
- March 11, 2025
- List price
- free
- Per year
- —
The backstory
Open WebUI is an open-source front end you run yourself, giving a team a shared chat interface over local models or any OpenAI-compatible API, with document retrieval and permissions. Managed enterprise plans from the labs are easier to buy and better supported. It survives because self-hosting is the point: data never leaves your network, there is no per-seat cost, and you can swap the model underneath without changing anything users see.
Escape hatches
Comparable open-source multi-model chat platform
librechat.ai open_in_newSelf-hosted chat with built-in document workspaces
anythingllm.com open_in_newHosted or self-hosted front end for your own keys
typingmind.com open_in_new2 of 3 replacements have a usable free tier.