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It's a split decision.
Open WebUI is a self-hosted web workspace that connects local and cloud models, adds Python extensions, and provides team controls. Ollama is an open-source runtime for pulling and running models, with a local REST API, CLI and official Python and JavaScript SDKs. Choose Open WebUI when people need a shared interface and organization features. Choose Ollama when applications need a model runtime and API. They can also work together: Open WebUI lists Ollama as a supported connection.
01Side by side
| Open WebUI | Ollama | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free core; paid Supporter and custom Enterprise | Free local use; paid cloud plans and usage |
| Free tier | $0 forever; no seat or request limits | $0 subscription locally; three concurrent requests |
| Open source and licence | Open source; verify licence terms | Open source under the MIT licence |
| Self-hosting | Own hardware, cloud or air-gapped deployment | Local, offline, on-premises or cloud deployment |
| API and SDKs | Connects to Ollama and compatible model services | REST API; official Python and JavaScript SDKs |
| CLI and docs | Web workspace with documentation | CLI for model management and API documentation |
| Integrations | Ollama, OpenAI, Anthropic and compatible services | Over 100 community integrations, including Open WebUI |
| Deployment model | Self-hosted AI interface for people and teams | Model runtime with local and hosted options |
Open WebUI Choose Open WebUI if
- Choose Open WebUI if your team needs a shared model interface.
- Choose Open WebUI if you need SSO, RBAC or audit logs.
- Choose Open WebUI if Python extensions and community resources fit your workflow.
Ollama Choose Ollama if
- Choose Ollama if your application needs a local model API.
- Choose Ollama if you want CLI-based model management.
- Choose Ollama if official Python or JavaScript SDKs suit your stack.
02Pricing at real usage
Open WebUI’s Free plan is $0 forever, with no seat or request limits. Changing or removing branding above 50 users in a rolling 30-day window requires an Enterprise agreement. Supporter is $60 per seat per year; monthly billing is not published. Enterprise pricing is custom, and Terminals and Tether require an enterprise licence.
Ollama’s local use has a $0 subscription and lists three concurrent requests. Hosted use is pay as you go, or through plans: Pro is $20 monthly or $200 annually, with $60 in monthly usage credits and three concurrent requests. Max is $100 monthly with $300 credits and 10 concurrent requests. Team is $500 monthly with $1,000 shared credits and 10 concurrent requests. Usage beyond Team’s credits is billed as you go. Local deployments shift compute costs to your own hardware; cloud token rates are not published in the plan details.
03API, SDKs and integration
Open WebUI is a web workspace that connects to Ollama, OpenAI, Anthropic and compatible model services. Teams can extend it with Python pipelines and code, and its community library includes prompts, models, tools and functions. The product facts describe model connections and extensions, not a standalone API or official SDK.
Ollama is the runtime and API layer. Its local HTTP REST API listens on port 11434 and provides endpoints for completions, chat and embeddings. Ollama also offers OpenAI-compatible and Anthropic-compatible endpoints, plus official Python and JavaScript SDKs. Its CLI can pull, run, list, copy, stop and delete models. The documentation lists more than 100 community integrations, including Open WebUI, Continue, LangChain and LlamaIndex. This gives application teams a direct model API, while Open WebUI supplies the user-facing workspace; they can be connected in the same stack.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
Both products are open-source and self-hostable. Ollama’s software is licensed under MIT. Before redistributing or modifying Open WebUI, check its current licence terms. Open WebUI can run on your hardware, in your cloud or in an air-gapped environment, with organization features such as SSO, RBAC, audit logs and data residency. Ollama supports local and offline use, on-premises infrastructure and cloud deployment.
Open WebUI connects to multiple model providers, while Ollama offers OpenAI- and Anthropic-compatible endpoints that can reduce changes to clients built for those interfaces. Ollama can import GGUF, PyTorch and Safetensors weights. Neither product’s stated features establish a general export path for all workspace data, conversations or settings. Before switching, check how your application will move model files, prompts, conversations and configuration.
Questions people ask
How do you set up Open WebUI with Ollama?
Run Ollama as the model runtime and connect it from Open WebUI as a model provider. Ollama’s local REST API listens on port 11434, and Open WebUI lists Ollama among its supported connections. For deployment-specific configuration, follow the current documentation for both products.
Does Ollama support OpenAI?
Yes. Ollama provides OpenAI-compatible endpoints, as well as Anthropic-compatible endpoints. Applications using compatible API patterns can connect to Ollama, but check the endpoint and feature requirements of your particular client before switching.
Why isn’t my Ollama model loading?
Check that the model identifier and local model setup match what you intend to run, then inspect the runtime’s errors and available hardware resources. Ollama supports several acceleration backends, but the cause of a loading problem depends on the model, machine and deployment.
Which Ollama model is best?
There is no single best model for every task and machine. Ollama supports models including Llama, Mistral, Gemma, DeepSeek and Qwen. Choose based on the task, hardware and model requirements, then confirm that the specific model supports the features your application needs.