head to head · open source
Open WebUI vs Gemini-API
Open WebUI has 152,426 GitHub stars, 22,301 forks, 294 open issues and last shipped today. Gemini-API has 3,519 stars, 555 forks, 37 open issues and last shipped 22 days ago. Open WebUI leads on adoption by 4,232% (152,426 vs 3,519 stars). Open WebUI is written in Python under a custom or non-standard licence; Gemini-API is written in Python under AGPL-3.0. Open WebUI has attracted 15% as many forks as stars, Gemini-API 16%. Open WebUI was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (ai, 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 | Gemini-API | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 152K | ★ 3.5K |
| License | Custom / other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-08-27 |
| Forks | ⑂ 22K | ⑂ 555 |
| 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 Gemini-API if
- You want the Gemini-API feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and Gemini-API 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 Gemini-API
Gemini API A reverse engineered asynchronous Python wrapper for the Google Gemini web app (formerly Bard). Features Persistent Cookies Automatically refreshes cookies in background. Optimized for always on services. Image Generation Natively supports generating and editing images with natural language. Video & Audio Generation Supports generating videos and audio/music content natively. Deep Research Full deep research workflow with plan creation, status polling, and result retrieval. System Prompt Supports customizing the model's system prompt with Gemini Gems. Extension Support Supports generating content with …
read the full Gemini-API overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Open WebUI or Gemini-API more popular?
Open WebUI has 152,426 GitHub stars and Gemini-API has 3,519. Open WebUI has the larger community by that measure.
Are Open WebUI and Gemini-API free?
Both are open source. Open WebUI has no licence declared in this registry, and Gemini-API is licensed under AGPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Open WebUI and Gemini-API?
Open WebUI is written in Python and Gemini-API 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 Gemini-API?
Choose Open WebUI if you want the larger community (152,426 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Gemini-API if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.