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Updated 11 Nov 2026 · prices read on vendor pages

9 best Open WebUI alternatives in 2027

Mehmet ElmicenniReviewed by Mehmet Elmicenni, founder of Zekai•Prices checked •How we check

The short answer

The best Open WebUI alternatives in 2027 are ChatGPT (best overall), LobeHub (best free plan: 500,000 credits a month) and LibreChat (best open source, MIT). Open WebUI itself starts at $0. Zekai checked these prices on vendor pages on 11 Nov 2026; 6 more are compared below, including 1 with a free plan and 4 open source.

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Best overallSee in table →
ChatGPT logo

ChatGPT

Free plan; paid price not published · free plan

9.3
Best free planSee in table →
LobeHub logo

LobeHub

$18/mo billed yearly · free plan

7.0
Best open sourceSee in table →
LibreChat logo

LibreChat

Free to self-host · MIT

7.7
9alternatives compared
3with a free plan
5open source
$3.99/mocheapest paid · Chatbox
$0Open WebUI starts at
01 · Zekai Price Ledger

Which Open WebUI alternatives are worth it in 2027?

Open WebUI is a self-hosted chat interface, so its closest alternatives are other chat front ends. LibreChat, big-AGI, AnythingLLM, Jan and Chatbox cover self-hosting or desktop use, while LobeHub and ChatGPT are hosted. Ollama and Poe are adjacent choices, covering model running and hosted multi-model chat.

ToolTypeStarting priceFree plan limitBest forCost for your teamChecked
Open WebUIThe tool you are replacing
 You are here
$0Self-hosted software; enterprise by quote
 Self-hosted; no plan limits stated Self-hosted chat front end for Ollama and OpenAI-compatible APIs — 11 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
ChatGPT logo
ChatGPT Zekai score 9.3Best overall
 Free
Free plan; paid price not published
 Unlimited text chats, subject to abuse guardrails Hosted assistant, no setup $0 11 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Chatbox logo
Chatbox Zekai score 7.2Cheapest paid
 Free plan + paid
$3.99/moChatbox AI Lite, monthly
 10,000 compute points a day, 5 AI images Desktop and mobile client for your own keys — 11 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
LobeHub logo
LobeHub Zekai score 7.0Best free plan
 Free plan + paid
$18/mo billed yearlyPlus, billed yearly ($216/year); comparison table shows $20 monthly
 500,000 credits a month, 15 MB storage Hosted agent workspace with free credits — 11 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
LibreChat logo
LibreChat Zekai score 7.7Best open source
 Open source
Free (self-hosted)Free, self-hosted
 No limit, self-hosted (MIT) MIT-licensed multi-provider chat platform $0 11 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
big-AGI logo
big-AGI Zekai score 7.5
 Open source
$9/mo (hosted)Pro, monthly
 No limit, self-hosted (MIT) Multi-model comparison workspace for experts — 11 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
AnythingLLM logo
AnythingLLM Zekai score 8.6
 Open source
Free (self-hosted)Desktop app free; cloud plans not shown
 No limit, self-hosted (MIT) Document chat with local models and agents $0 11 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Jan logo
Jan Zekai score 8.2
 Open source
Free (self-hosted)Free
 No limit, self-hosted (Apache-2.0) Offline desktop chat with local models $0 11 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Ollama logo
Ollama Zekai score 9.1
 Open source
Free (self-hosted)Free local models
 No limit, self-hosted (MIT) Model runner Open WebUI connects to $0 11 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Poe Zekai score 8.6
Not checked
 No free plan Hosted app giving many models and community bots — 11 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗

Every price was read on the vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. The Cost Finder assumes one entry plan per person, so it multiplies by your team size; yearly prices are shown per month, and team or business plans can cost more per seat. "Not checked" means we could not confirm a public price.

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02 · Free plan

Is there a free version of Open WebUI?

Yes. Open WebUI is free to install with pip or Docker, and the repository states it works with Ollama and OpenAI-compatible APIs. The openwebui.com page lists no prices and no plan limits. Enterprise features such as SSO, audit logs and air-gapped deployment are offered through its sales team.

Source: Open WebUI pricing page, read 11 Nov 2026.

Free$0

Self-hosted; no plan limits stated

Paid from$0

Self-hosted software; enterprise by quote

03 · Free alternatives

What are the best free Open WebUI alternatives?

The best free alternative is LobeHub, which lists a Free plan with 500,000 credits a month. LibreChat, AnythingLLM, Jan and Ollama are free to self-host, and Chatbox has a free tier of 10,000 compute points a day. Self-hosting costs hardware and your own provider API keys.

ChatGPT logo

ChatGPT

Best overallFree
Unlimited text chats, subject to abuse guardrails
vs Open WebUI →Zekai review
Chatbox logo

Chatbox

Cheapest paidFree plan + paid
10,000 compute points a day, 5 AI images
Paid from $3.99/mo
vs Open WebUI →Zekai review
LobeHub logo

LobeHub

Best free planFree plan + paid
500,000 credits a month, 15 MB storage
Paid from $18/mo billed yearly
vs Open WebUI →Zekai review
04 · Open source

What are the best open-source Open WebUI alternatives?

The best open-source alternative is LibreChat, which its repository licenses under MIT. AnythingLLM is also MIT and Jan is Apache-2.0. big-AGI is MIT, Chatbox is GPL-3.0, and Ollama is MIT. Open WebUI's own licence requires keeping its branding, which is the main licensing reason people compare these.

LibreChat logo

LibreChat

MIT★ 45.1k GitHub stars · Sep 2026
To self-host: Local or remote install with Docker Compose stacks that bundle an Admin Panel; you supply provider API keys or point it at local models.
Zekai open-source pageSource code ↗Managed hosting slot
big-AGI logo

big-AGI

MIT★ 7.1k GitHub stars · Oct 2026
To self-host: Docker with a Dockerfile and docker-compose.yaml, image on GitHub Container Registry; you bring your own provider API keys.
Zekai open-source pageSource code ↗Managed hosting slot
AnythingLLM logo

AnythingLLM

MIT★ 68.2k GitHub stars · Nov 2026
To self-host: Desktop download for macOS, Windows or Linux, or Docker for multi-user; runs local models on CPU or GPU and needs no account.
Zekai open-source pageSource code ↗Managed hosting slot
Jan logo

Jan

Apache-2.0★ 45.7k GitHub stars · Nov 2026
To self-host: Installers for Windows, macOS and Linux (.deb, AppImage, Flathub); local server on localhost:1337, no key needed for local models.
Zekai open-source pageSource code ↗Managed hosting slot
Ollama logo

Ollama

MIT★ 180.5k GitHub stars · Sep 2026
To self-host: Install script on macOS and Linux, PowerShell installer on Windows, or the ollama/ollama Docker image; a REST API listens on port 11434.
Zekai open-source pageSource code ↗Managed hosting slot
05 · Side by side

How does Open WebUI compare with each alternative?

Open WebUI is a browser-based server you host for teams; Chatbox and Jan are apps for one person. LibreChat is its nearest peer, with MIT licensing and SSO. AnythingLLM suits document chat on a desktop, LobeHub and ChatGPT are hosted, and Ollama runs models without an interface.

01
ChatGPT logo

Open WebUI vs ChatGPT

Best overallFreeFree plan; paid price not published9.3
The differenceChatGPT is a hosted service with plans billed by OpenAI and no server to run; Open WebUI runs on your own machine and talks to models you choose.
Switch to ChatGPT ifyou want a hosted assistant with nothing to install, maintain or secure yourself
Stay with Open WebUI ifyou need your chats and documents to stay on infrastructure you control
Pros
  • ChatGPT's context understanding enables Marketing & Content Creation teams to generate high-quality content that resonates with their audience.
  • The tool's conversation flow and memory features allow for seamless content iteration and refinement.
Cons
  • The lack of explicit brand voice and tone guidance may require additional setup and fine-tuning for Marketing & Content Creation teams.
  • ChatGPT's limitations in handling extremely complex or niche topics may necessitate additional research and editing.

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of ChatGPT

Visit ChatGPTRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
02
Chatbox logo

Open WebUI vs Chatbox

Cheapest paidFree plan + paid$3.99/mo · checked 11 Nov 20267.2
The differenceChatbox ships native Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android apps plus a web version, and sells optional Chatbox AI credits from $3.99 a month; Open WebUI is browser-only.
Switch to Chatbox ifyou want a native desktop or phone app instead of hosting a web server
Stay with Open WebUI ifyou want one shared browser interface for several users with groups and roles
Visit ChatboxRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
03
LobeHub logo

Open WebUI vs LobeHub

Best free planFree plan + paid$18/mo billed yearly · checked 11 Nov 20267.0
The differenceLobeHub Cloud measures usage in credits and gives Free accounts 500,000 a month, with Plus at $18 a month billed yearly; its Apache-2.0 repo can also be self-hosted.
Switch to LobeHub ifyou want a managed cloud workspace with a free monthly credit allowance and optional paid tiers
Stay with Open WebUI ifyou want no credit metering and a single install you fully administer
Pros
  • Free plan with 500,000 credits per month
  • Huge catalogue of agents
Cons
  • Free plan allows only 1 concurrent agent task and 15 MB storage
  • Paid usage is capped by weekly and 5-hour allowances

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of LobeHub · Verdict: Agent-first workspace

Visit LobeHubRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
04
LibreChat logo

Open WebUI vs LibreChat

Best open sourceOpen sourceFree (self-hosted)7.7
The differenceLibreChat is MIT-licensed, while Open WebUI's current code sits under a licence that requires keeping its branding; LibreChat adds SSO through OAuth, SAML and LDAP.
Switch to LibreChat ifyou need a plain MIT licence and OAuth, SAML or LDAP sign-in for your own deployment
Stay with Open WebUI ifyou want built-in Ollama integration, RAG with many vector databases and an arena for model evaluation
Visit LibreChatRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
05
big-AGI logo

Open WebUI vs big-AGI

Open source$9/mo (hosted) · checked 11 Nov 20267.5
The differencebig-AGI sends one prompt to several models and fuses the answers, and charges $9 a month only for cloud sync and backup; the app itself is free with your own keys.
Switch to big-AGI ifyou want to compare several models side by side and merge their answers in one view
Stay with Open WebUI ifyou want multi-user accounts, document retrieval and tool servers on your own server
Visit big-AGIRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
06
AnythingLLM logo

Open WebUI vs AnythingLLM

Open sourceFree (self-hosted)8.6
The differenceAnythingLLM runs as a single desktop download with its own local model engine, and its repo says multi-user mode, themes and the embed widget are Docker-only.
Switch to AnythingLLM ifyou want a one-click desktop install that chats with your documents without running a server
Stay with Open WebUI ifyou want a web interface served to a team from one hosted deployment
Visit AnythingLLMRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
07
Jan logo

Open WebUI vs Jan

Open sourceFree (self-hosted)8.2
The differenceJan is an Apache-2.0 desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux that runs models offline and exposes a local API on port 1337, with no browser server to host.
Switch to Jan ifyou want an offline desktop chat app under Apache-2.0 and have no need for accounts
Stay with Open WebUI ifyou want several people to sign in to one shared web deployment
Visit JanRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
08
Ollama logo

Open WebUI vs Ollama

Open sourceFree (self-hosted)9.1
The differenceOllama is the model runner Open WebUI usually connects to; it starts chats from the command line with ollama run and serves a REST API on port 11434.
Switch to Ollama ifyou only need to run models and chat from a terminal or script, with no web interface
Stay with Open WebUI ifyou want a browser chat interface with users, prompts and knowledge on top of your models
Visit OllamaRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
09

Open WebUI vs Poe

Not checked8.6
The differencePoe is a hosted app on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and web that offers models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta and Mistral plus community bots; nothing is installed on a server.
Switch to Poe ifyou want many providers' models and user-made bots in one hosted app with no setup
Stay with Open WebUI ifyou want to run the interface and its data on hardware you manage
Pros
  • Access a wide variety of top-tier AI models in one place
  • Cost-effective compared to multiple individual AI subscriptions
Cons
  • Usage limits on premium models can be restrictive during busy periods
  • The free tier is limited by a 'points' system that depletes quickly

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of Poe · Verdict: AI Model Swiss Army Knife

Visit PoeRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
06 · What changed

Why do people leave Open WebUI?

  • The repository README says current code is under the Open WebUI License, which requires preserving the Open WebUI branding, with earlier contributions under their original licences. (source)

  • Enterprise capabilities such as SSO, RBAC, audit logs, data residency and air-gapped deployment are sold through the vendor's sales team rather than listed with a price. (source)

08 · FAQ

Questions people ask about Open WebUI alternatives

What is the best alternative to Open WebUI in 2027?

ChatGPT is the best overall Open WebUI alternative on this page (Free plan; paid price not published). For no cost, LobeHub has a free plan (500,000 credits a month, 15 MB storage). To self-host, LibreChat is open source (MIT).

Is there a free version of Open WebUI?

Yes. Open WebUI has a free plan: Self-hosted; no plan limits stated. Paid plans start at $0, checked on 11 Nov 2026.

Is there a 100% free alternative to Open WebUI?

Yes. LibreChat, big-AGI, AnythingLLM, Jan, Ollama are open source and free to self-host. ChatGPT, Chatbox, LobeHub have a free plan with limits, shown in the table.

What is cheaper than Open WebUI?

Chatbox starts at $3.99/mo, against $0 for Open WebUI, as listed on each vendor's pricing page on 11 Nov 2026.

How much do Open WebUI alternatives cost for a team of 5?

If each of 5 people buys the entry paid plan, at the prices Zekai checked on 11 Nov 2026, the monthly cost is Chatbox $19.95/mo, big-AGI $45/mo, LobeHub $90/mo. Team and business plans can cost more per seat. The Zekai Cost Finder on this page recalculates for any team size.

Which is better, ChatGPT or Open WebUI?

ChatGPT is a hosted service with plans billed by OpenAI and no server to run; Open WebUI runs on your own machine and talks to models you choose. Choose ChatGPT if you want a hosted assistant with nothing to install, maintain or secure yourself. Stay with Open WebUI if you need your chats and documents to stay on infrastructure you control.

Why are people leaving Open WebUI?

The documented reasons are: The repository README says current code is under the Open WebUI License, which requires preserving the Open WebUI branding, with earlier contributions under their original licences (11 Nov 2026); Enterprise capabilities such as SSO, RBAC, audit logs, data residency and air-gapped deployment are sold through the vendor's sales team rather than listed with a price (11 Nov 2026). Each is sourced in the section above.

What is better than Open WebUI?

It depends on the job. LibreChat is the nearest self-hosted peer, AnythingLLM is simpler for documents on one desktop, and ChatGPT or LobeHub suit people who prefer a hosted service.

09 · Method

How did Zekai check this page?

Zekai independently reviews AI tools. For this page we read each vendor's own pricing and product pages and recorded the starting price, the free-plan limit and the date of the check. Only tools that do the same job as Open WebUI are listed, and sponsors never change the order or the scores.

Mehmet Elmicenni, founder of Zekai
Mehmet Elmicenni

Founder of Zekai. Reviews the alternatives pages and the price checks behind them.

About the founder · How Zekai scores tools

JSON copyMarkdown copy
1 · Same job onlyEvery alternative does the same task as Open WebUI; tools for other jobs are left out.
2 · Vendor pages onlyPrices and free limits come from each vendor's own pricing page, never from blogs.
Zekai score0–10, from four published weights: ease 25%, output quality 30%, value 20%, time saved 25%. How we score
3 · Re-checkedA price older than 35 days is re-read or the page falls back to an older version.
Change log

  • Page rebuilt on v6; all prices re-read on vendor pages.

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