kitio.aiCherry Studio vs Open WebUI
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Cherry Studio is completely free, while Open WebUI is freemium.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Dozens of providers
- Local model support
- Knowledge bases
- Preset assistants
- MCP tools and agents
- Multi-user with roles
- Document RAG
- Web search
- Python tools and pipelines
- Voice chat
| Feature | Cherry Studio | Open WebUI |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Free open-source desktop client for dozens of AI providers | Self-hosted, open-source ChatGPT-style interface for any model |
| Category | Chat assistants | Chat assistants |
| Pricing model | Free | Freemium |
| Starting price | Free | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes, fully free | Yes |
| Made by | CherryHQ | Open WebUI |
| Based in | China | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
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Pricing compared
Cherry Studio is completely free, while Open WebUI is freemium.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
2 plans
Community
Free
- Open source, self-hosted
- Use local or API models
Enterprise
Contact sales
- Custom branding
- Enterprise support and SLAs
- On-prem or air-gapped deployment
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Cherry Studio
- Completely free
- Very broad provider support
- Data stays local
- Setup needs your own API keys
- Many settings to learn
- Docs partly in Chinese
Open WebUI
- Runs fully on your own servers
- Works with local and cloud models
- Large, active community
- Needs technical setup
- Branding rules for large deployments
- Frequent updates can break configs
Which one should you choose?
Choose Cherry Studio if you want:
- Completely free
- Very broad provider support
- Data stays local
Watch out: setup needs your own api keys.
Choose Open WebUI if you want:
- Runs fully on your own servers
- Works with local and cloud models
- Large, active community
Watch out: needs technical setup.
Cherry Studio vs Open WebUI FAQ
What is the difference between Cherry Studio and Open WebUI?
Cherry Studio: Free open-source desktop client for dozens of AI providers. Open WebUI: Self-hosted, open-source ChatGPT-style interface for any model. Both are chat assistants tools.
Is Cherry Studio or Open WebUI cheaper?
Cherry Studio is completely free, while Open WebUI is freemium.
Do Cherry Studio and Open WebUI have free plans?
Cherry Studio: Yes, fully free. Open WebUI: Yes.
Who makes Cherry Studio?
Cherry Studio is made by CherryHQ, based in China.
Who makes Open WebUI?
Open WebUI is made by Open WebUI.
Which should I choose, Cherry Studio or Open WebUI?
Choose Cherry Studio if you value completely free and very broad provider support. Choose Open WebUI if you value runs fully on your own servers and works with local and cloud models.