Open WebUI and AnythingLLM are the two most common ways to give staff a ChatGPT-style interface on top of models you run yourself. Open WebUI is a web chat platform: it feels like ChatGPT, handles many users with accounts and roles, and connects to any model server. AnythingLLM is built around workspaces of documents: you drop files into a workspace and chat with them, with retrieval and citations set up for you, either as a desktop app for one person or a server for a team. Choose Open WebUI when the main need is a shared chat assistant for many users. Choose AnythingLLM when the main need is answering questions from specific sets of documents with the least setup.
Neither runs the AI model itself. Both sit in front of an engine such as Ollama or vLLM, or a cloud API.
Open WebUI vs AnythingLLM at a glance
| Open WebUI | AnythingLLM | |
|---|---|---|
| Core idea | Multi-user chat interface | Document workspaces with built-in retrieval |
| Form | Self-hosted web application (Docker) | Desktop app (single user) or Docker server (teams) |
| Document chat (RAG) | Yes: upload files, knowledge collections | Yes: the central feature, with a bundled embedder and vector store |
| Users and roles | Accounts, groups, admin controls, single sign-on options | Multi-user mode in the server version |
| Model backends | Ollama and any OpenAI-compatible API | Ollama, LM Studio, OpenAI-compatible and many cloud providers |
| Agents and tools | Tools, functions and pipelines; MCP support | Built-in agent skills; MCP support |
| Licence | Open WebUI License: BSD-3 terms plus a branding clause | MIT |
Source: project documentation and independent licence reviews (2026). Compiled 11 Nov 2026. Both projects release frequently, so check current features.
What should you know about the licences?
This is the detail most often missed. Since version 0.6.6 in April 2025, Open WebUI has used its own licence: the permissive BSD-3 terms plus a clause that protects its branding. Using it unmodified with its own name and logo is free for a business of any size. Removing or replacing the Open WebUI branding is allowed only in limited cases, including deployments with at most 50 users in a rolling 30-day period, written permission, or an enterprise licence. If you want the assistant to carry your company's name and logo and you have more than 50 users, you need that enterprise licence or a different tool.
AnythingLLM's code is MIT-licensed, which permits rebranding. Its desktop app has its own terms of use. This is general information, not legal advice; read the current licence files before a company-wide rollout.
How do they differ for document chat?
- AnythingLLM organises everything by workspace. Each workspace has its own documents, settings and chat history, so HR policies, product manuals and a client project stay separate. The desktop version includes an embedding model and a local vector store, so a single laptop can chat with documents with nothing else installed.
- Open WebUI treats documents as knowledge collections you attach to a chat or a custom model. It is flexible, with settings for chunking, embedding models, hybrid search and re-ranking, which reward some tuning.
In both, answer quality depends far more on document preparation and retrieval settings than on the interface. See vector databases explained and RAG vs fine-tuning vs long context.
The chat window is the easy part. An internal assistant succeeds or fails on three things behind it: clean documents, correct permissions and a model server that keeps up when everyone asks at once.
What about permissions and security?
- Accounts. Connect the assistant to your existing sign-in where possible, and disable open self-registration.
- Document access. Make sure a user can only retrieve documents they are allowed to see. Separate workspaces or collections by department, and test with a restricted account.
- Tools. Both can call tools and MCP servers. Start read-only and require approval for actions; see what MCP is and its risks.
- Network. Keep the interface on the internal network or behind a VPN. Don't expose it directly to the internet.
- Logs and retention. Decide how long chats are kept and who can read them.
More in why your AI assistant may be your biggest security risk.
What does the full stack look like?
| Layer | Small team (up to about 10) | Department (10 to 100) |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | AnythingLLM or Open WebUI | Open WebUI, or AnythingLLM server |
| Model server | Ollama | vLLM |
| Vector store | Built-in | Built-in or a dedicated database |
| Documents | NAS share | NAS with permissions and backup |
| Hardware | One 128 GB AI desktop | 96 GB-class GPU workstation or server, or a DGX Station |
For the model server choice, see Ollama vs LM Studio vs vLLM. For worked examples, see building a corporate ChatGPT on GB10 and running a private company assistant.
Which should you choose?
- One person, documents on a laptop: AnythingLLM desktop.
- A team that wants a general chat assistant with accounts: Open WebUI.
- Several departments, each with its own document sets: AnythingLLM server, or Open WebUI with collections per group.
- You must rebrand it for more than 50 users without a vendor licence: AnythingLLM.
- You want the largest community and the most integrations: Open WebUI.
Both are free to try. Install each against the same model and the same 20 documents, and let a few real users decide.
Buying in Singapore
For a small-team assistant, the NVIDIA DGX Spark 4TB (S$9,450), ASUS Ascent GX10 128GB/1TB (S$10,350) or HP ZGX Nano G1n 4TB (S$11,499) runs the interface, the model and the vector store on one box. For a department, the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Workstation Edition (S$29,100). For the document repository and backup, the Synology DS1825+ (S$2,148) and Synology ActiveProtect DP340 (S$6,526.80) (listed 11 Nov 2026; prices change; ask for a current quotation). To start, use Request for Quotation on the product page, call (65) 6978 3502, email Sales@sourceit.com.sg or use our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Open WebUI and AnythingLLM? Open WebUI is a multi-user web chat interface for self-hosted and API models. AnythingLLM is organised around document workspaces with built-in retrieval, available as a desktop app or a team server.
Is Open WebUI free for business use? Yes, when used with its original branding. Its licence restricts removing or replacing the Open WebUI branding for deployments above 50 users unless you have permission or an enterprise licence.
Do Open WebUI and AnythingLLM run the AI model? No. They are front-ends that connect to a model server such as Ollama or vLLM, or to a cloud API. The model server needs the GPU.
Which is better for chatting with company documents? AnythingLLM is quicker to set up for document chat because retrieval is built in per workspace. Open WebUI is more configurable and better suited to many users sharing a general assistant.
