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Run a private ChatGPT-style UI for local models with Open WebUI

#ai #selfhosted #docker #opensource

You can get a ChatGPT-style interface that runs on your own machine and talks to local models. Open WebUI is a self-hosted web front end for Ollama and OpenAI-compatible APIs, and the install is one command. The short version is on the Deduped use-case page. Here is the full path with the exact commands from the README.

Option 1: pip

If you have Python set up, install and run:

pip install open-webui
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open-webui serve
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Then open the local address it prints in your browser and create the first account. The first account becomes the admin.

Option 2: Docker, with Ollama on the same machine

This is the common setup. Ollama runs on the host and the container reaches it through host.docker.internal:

docker run -d -p 3000:8080 --add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --name open-webui --restart always ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main
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Open http://localhost:3000. What each flag does:

  • -p 3000:8080 publishes the UI on port 3000.
  • --add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway lets the container see Ollama on the host.
  • -v open-webui:/app/backend/data keeps chats and settings in a named volume, so upgrades do not wipe them.
  • --restart always brings it back after a reboot.

Option 3: Ollama on another server

Set OLLAMA_BASE_URL to the remote address:

docker run -d -p 3000:8080 -e OLLAMA_BASE_URL=https://example.com -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --name open-webui --restart always ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main
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Replace the example URL with your own server.

Option 4: NVIDIA GPU image

If you want the CUDA build:

docker run -d -p 3000:8080 --gpus all --add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --name open-webui --restart always ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:cuda
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This needs the NVIDIA container toolkit on the host.

Pull a model

Open WebUI is only the interface. Make sure Ollama has something to serve:

ollama pull llama3
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Then pick it from the model dropdown at the top of a new chat. Any model Ollama lists will appear.

Why bother

  • Your prompts stay on your hardware when you use local models.
  • One UI for local models and OpenAI-compatible endpoints.
  • Chat history lives in your own volume.

The Deduped site also has pages on chatting with your documents using local RAG and the full Open WebUI repo page.

Tips

  • Back up the open-webui volume before upgrading the image.
  • Do not expose port 3000 to the internet without a reverse proxy and strong passwords.
  • If the container cannot see Ollama, check the --add-host flag first, then that Ollama is listening.

Who this is for

People who want a polished chat UI for local models without sending data to a hosted service. If you only chat occasionally with a hosted model, a plain subscription is simpler.

Repo: github.com/open-webui/open-webui.

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