head to head · open source
OpenClaw vs Open WebUI
OpenClaw has 389,982 GitHub stars, 81,978 forks, 6,671 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Open WebUI has 152,394 stars, 22,296 forks, 294 open issues and last shipped yesterday. OpenClaw leads on adoption by 156% (389,982 vs 152,394 stars). OpenClaw is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Open WebUI is written in Python under a custom or non-standard licence. OpenClaw has attracted 21% as many forks as stars, Open WebUI 15%. OpenClaw was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (ai), 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
| OpenClaw | Open WebUI | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 390K | ★ 152K |
| License | Custom / other | Custom / other |
| Written in | TypeScript | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 82K | ⑂ 22K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick OpenClaw if
- You weight community size — 390K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Open WebUI if
- You want the Open WebUI feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and Open WebUI fits your workflow better
About OpenClaw
OpenClaw is an open source, self hosted AI assistant in the AI & Machine Learning / AI Interaction & Interfaces category that runs on hardware the user controls and meets them inside the messaging channels they already use, for individuals who want a personal assistant on a laptop and teams that want a shared deployment.
read the full OpenClaw overview →
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 →
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Frequently asked questions
Is OpenClaw or Open WebUI more popular?
OpenClaw has 389,982 GitHub stars and Open WebUI has 152,394. OpenClaw has the larger community by that measure.
Are OpenClaw and Open WebUI free?
Neither OpenClaw nor Open WebUI declares a licence in this registry, so check each project's own repository before relying on either for a commercial use. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between OpenClaw and Open WebUI?
OpenClaw is written in TypeScript and Open WebUI 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, OpenClaw or Open WebUI?
Choose OpenClaw if you want the larger community (389,982 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Open WebUI if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.