head to head · open source
Open WebUI vs cindy
Open WebUI has 152,394 GitHub stars, 22,296 forks, 294 open issues and last shipped yesterday. cindy has 2,749 stars, 399 forks, 1,390 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Open WebUI leads on adoption by 5,444% (152,394 vs 2,749 stars). Open WebUI is written in Python under a custom or non-standard licence; cindy is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. Open WebUI has attracted 15% as many forks as stars, cindy 15%. cindy was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (llm), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
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 | cindy | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 152K | ★ 2.7K |
| License | Custom / other | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 22K | ⑂ 399 |
| 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 cindy if
- You want the cindy feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and cindy 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 cindy
Cindy is an open source AI agent that works out of the box: a TypeScript desktop and mobile client that runs locally on your own machine, uses your real files and logged in apps, and folds multiple agent harnesses, models and tools into one agent aimed at people who want finished work rather than another chat window.
read the full cindy overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Open WebUI or cindy more popular?
Open WebUI has 152,394 GitHub stars and cindy has 2,749. Open WebUI has the larger community by that measure.
Are Open WebUI and cindy free?
Both are open source. Open WebUI has no licence declared in this registry, and cindy is licensed under Apache-2.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Open WebUI and cindy?
Open WebUI is written in Python and cindy in TypeScript. 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 cindy?
Choose Open WebUI if you want the larger community (152,394 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose cindy if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.