head to head · open source
Open WebUI vs ChuanhuChatGPT
Open WebUI has 152,394 GitHub stars, 22,296 forks, 294 open issues and last shipped yesterday. ChuanhuChatGPT has 15,271 stars, 2,196 forks, 129 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Open WebUI leads on adoption by 898% (152,394 vs 15,271 stars). Open WebUI is written in Python under a custom or non-standard licence; ChuanhuChatGPT is written in Python under GPL-3.0. Open WebUI has attracted 15% as many forks as stars, ChuanhuChatGPT 14%. Open WebUI was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Open WebUI | ChuanhuChatGPT | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 152K | ★ 15K |
| License | Custom / other | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-16 |
| Forks | ⑂ 22K | ⑂ 2.2K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Open WebUI if
- You weight community size — 152K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick ChuanhuChatGPT if
- You want the ChuanhuChatGPT feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and ChuanhuChatGPT fits your workflow better
About Open WebUI
Open WebUI is a self hosted, open source AI interface that unifies access to local and cloud based large language models. It runs entirely in a web browser and supports Ollama for local model hosting alongside any OpenAI compatible API, including services like LMStudio, GroqCloud, Mistral, and OpenRouter. Built in Python, it functions as a drop in replacement for proprietary AI platforms, giving users full control over their model infrastructure and data.
read the full Open WebUI overview →
About ChuanhuChatGPT
ChuanhuChatGPT (川虎 Chat) is a free, GPL 3.0 Python and Gradio web interface that puts the ChatGPT API and more than a dozen other hosted and locally deployed large language models behind one self hostable chat UI, built for individuals and small teams who want their own front end instead of a vendor's.
read the full ChuanhuChatGPT overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Open WebUI or ChuanhuChatGPT more popular?
Open WebUI has 152,394 GitHub stars and ChuanhuChatGPT has 15,271. Open WebUI has the larger community by that measure.
Are Open WebUI and ChuanhuChatGPT free?
Both are open source. Open WebUI has no licence declared in this registry, and ChuanhuChatGPT is licensed under GPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Open WebUI and ChuanhuChatGPT?
Open WebUI is written in Python and ChuanhuChatGPT in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Open WebUI or ChuanhuChatGPT?
Choose Open WebUI if you want the larger community (152,394 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose ChuanhuChatGPT if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.