# Open WebUI v0.12.4: what's new, verdict & setup Canonical: https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/open-webui · Released: 2026-10-25 · Last verified: 2026-10-25 · Evidence: Tested (smoke test, 2026-10-25, local 3B model (Qwen2.5-3B)) · Vendor: Open WebUI · Official site: https://openwebui.com/ > Self-hosted AI platform: a web interface that connects to Ollama and OpenAI-compatible models, under its own Open WebUI License. ## Verdict **Self-hosted AI platform: a web interface that connects to Ollama and OpenAI-compatible models, under its own Open WebUI License.** Good for: - Teams that want a self-hosted chat UI - Ollama users who want a browser interface Skip if: - You need a standard OSI license for your own distribution Tested. Tested 2026-10-25 (America/Chicago). Open WebUI 0.12.4 installed with uv in 11.6 s (6,977 MB in the virtualenv), was healthy about 11 to 12 s after start, and answered a chat through its API in 0.68 s using a local Ollama model. Test environment: Linux x86_64 virtual machine (Debian 13), 8 vCPU, 15 GiB RAM, no GPU; no vendor account, login or API key. Agent tools were pointed at a local open-weight model (Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct (Q4_K_M) through Ollama 0.40.11), so we tested the tool, not any vendor's hosted models. Not tested: The browser UI, RAG over documents, web search, multi-user roles, and Docker deployment; One request; a smoke test, not a load test. These are smoke tests, not a benchmark. Full log: /tests/open-webui. Test scope: - Kind and date: smoke test, 2026-10-25 (America/Chicago). Not a benchmark. - What we ran: Open WebUI 0.12.4 installed with uv in 11.6 s (6,977 MB in the virtualenv), was healthy about 11 to 12 s after start, and answered a chat through its API in 0.68 s using a local Ollama model. - Model used: Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct (Q4_K_M) through Ollama 0.40.11 - Environment: Linux x86_64 virtual machine (Debian 13), 8 vCPU, 15 GiB RAM, no GPU; no vendor account, login or API key - Not tested: The browser UI, RAG over documents, web search, multi-user roles, and Docker deployment; One request; a smoke test, not a load test. Full test log (commands, versions, raw output): [Open WebUI 0.12.4: our test log](https://theagenticweekly.com/tests/open-webui) Pricing: Partly verified. No pricing page read. (checked 2026-10-25) ## Best for - [Best AI tool for local LLM tools and model platforms](https://theagenticweekly.com/best/llm-platforms) (#-): Self-hosted web interface for local and hosted models. ## Key facts Open WebUI's site pitches a self-hosted AI platform you run on your own machine and connect to any model. The repository's license file is a custom 'Open WebUI License' (BSD-style terms with additional conditions), not a standard OSI license; v0.12.4 was tagged Oct 25, 2026. - License: Open WebUI License (custom; read it before commercial use) - Platforms: Self-hosted (Docker and others) - Pricing model: Free self-hosted - Free tier: Free to self-host - Paid plans: Enterprise options not read - GitHub: open-webui/open-webui: 156,757 stars on 2026-10-25, last push 2026-10-25 - Latest release we saw: v0.12.4, 2026-10-25 - How to start: Follow the install guide on openwebui.com (Docker is the common route) and connect a model backend. - v0.12.4 (2026-10-25): the newest release listed on the official page or repository when we read it on 2026-10-25. ## How to set it up: Get started with Open WebUI These steps come from the vendor's own pages as read on 2026-10-25. We ran Open WebUI on 2026-10-25; the test log lists what was and was not covered. 1. **Get access.** Follow the install guide on openwebui.com (Docker is the common route) and connect a model backend. 2. **Check the limits and costs first.** Free to self-host. Paid: Enterprise options not read. No pricing page read. ## Pros and cons Pros: - Very active (v0.12.4 on Oct 25, 2026) - Large community Cons: - Custom license, not MIT or Apache - Our test was one small task on a local 3B model; it does not show behaviour with hosted models or larger jobs ## Alternatives - [Ollama](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/ollama): The common way to run open models locally on macOS, Windows and Linux, with a cloud option and an MIT-licensed open-source core. - [Jan](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/jan): Open-source alternative to ChatGPT that runs open models locally or connects to cloud models like GPT and Claude. - [Dify](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/dify): Open-source platform for building LLM apps and agent workflows with a visual canvas; licensed under a modified Apache 2.0 with extra conditions. - [Cohere](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/cohere): Enterprise AI company: Command models, Rerank and the North platform. - [DeepSeek](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/deepseek): Model API that works with the OpenAI and Anthropic SDK formats and can back agent tools such as Claude Code, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode. - [Hugging Face](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/hugging-face): The hub where the ML community shares models, datasets and apps, with PRO, Team and Enterprise tiers. - [LiteLLM](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/litellm): Python SDK and proxy that gives one OpenAI-style interface to many model providers. - [llama.cpp](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/llama-cpp): LLM inference in C/C++: the open-source engine many local-model tools build on; MIT-licensed with near-daily build tags. - [LM Studio](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/lm-studio): Desktop app for running open models locally; the homepage now leads with Bionic, an agent for work and code. - [OpenRouter](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/openrouter): Unified API to many models with fallbacks; a Free tier with 25+ free models and 4 free providers. - [Replicate](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/replicate): Cloud API for running and fine-tuning open models, with per-use pricing. - [Together AI](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/together-ai): AI cloud for open models: serverless inference, fine-tuning and GPU clusters, priced per token. ## FAQ ### What is Open WebUI? Open WebUI's site pitches a self-hosted AI platform you run on your own machine and connect to any model. The repository's license file is a custom 'Open WebUI License' (BSD-style terms with additional conditions), not a standard OSI license; v0.12.4 was tagged Oct 25, 2026. ### Is Open WebUI free? Free to self-host. Paid: Enterprise options not read. No pricing page read. Checked 2026-10-25; prices change, so confirm on the vendor's page. ### What license is Open WebUI under? Its license: Open WebUI License (custom; read it before commercial use). Read from the project's own pages on 2026-10-25. ## What we have not verified - Enterprise pricing ## Sources - [Open WebUI](https://openwebui.com/) (fetched 2026-10-25) - [Open WebUI license](https://github.com/open-webui/open-webui/blob/main/LICENSE) (fetched 2026-10-25) - [Open WebUI repository (GitHub)](https://github.com/open-webui/open-webui) (fetched 2026-10-25) ## How to cite Agentic Weekly, "Open WebUI v0.12.4: what's new, verdict & setup", last updated 2026-10-25, https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/open-webui Keep the Reported or Tested label when you quote the verdict.