kitio.aiHuggingChat vs Open WebUI
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. HuggingChat starts at $9/mo and Open WebUI starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Open-weight model picker
- Automatic model routing
- Web search tool
- Image generation tools
- Open-source code
- Multi-user with roles
- Document RAG
- Web search
- Python tools and pipelines
- Voice chat
| Feature | HuggingChat | Open WebUI |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Hugging Face's chat app for trying open-weight models in one place | Self-hosted, open-source ChatGPT-style interface for any model |
| Category | Chat assistants | Chat assistants |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $9/mo | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Hugging Face | Open WebUI |
| Based in | United States | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
HuggingChat starts at $9/mo and Open WebUI starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Free
Free
- HuggingChat and Hub access
- Standard usage limits
PRO
$9/mo
- $2 inference credits per month
- 8x ZeroGPU quota, top priority
- 10x private storage
Team
$20/mo
- Per user
- SSO (SAML and OIDC)
- Audit logs, resource groups
Enterprise
$50/mo
- Per user
- SCIM provisioning
- Highest storage and rate limits
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
HuggingChat
- Easy way to try open models
- No lock-in to one provider
- Open-source interface
- Monthly credits run out quickly
- Answers vary between models
- Fewer polished features
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 HuggingChat if you want:
- Easy way to try open models
- No lock-in to one provider
- Open-source interface
Watch out: monthly credits run out quickly.
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.
HuggingChat vs Open WebUI FAQ
What is the difference between HuggingChat and Open WebUI?
HuggingChat: Hugging Face's chat app for trying open-weight models in one place. Open WebUI: Self-hosted, open-source ChatGPT-style interface for any model. Both are chat assistants tools.
Is HuggingChat or Open WebUI cheaper?
HuggingChat starts at $9/mo and Open WebUI starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do HuggingChat and Open WebUI have free plans?
HuggingChat: Yes. Open WebUI: Yes.
Who makes HuggingChat?
HuggingChat is made by Hugging Face, based in United States.
Who makes Open WebUI?
Open WebUI is made by Open WebUI.
Which should I choose, HuggingChat or Open WebUI?
Choose HuggingChat if you value easy way to try open models and no lock-in to one provider. Choose Open WebUI if you value runs fully on your own servers and works with local and cloud models.