kitio.aiOpen WebUI vs SillyTavern
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. SillyTavern 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
- Multi-user with roles
- Document RAG
- Web search
- Python tools and pipelines
- Voice chat
- Character cards
- World Info lorebooks
- Group chats
- Many API backends
- Extensions for TTS and images
| Feature | Open WebUI | SillyTavern |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Self-hosted, open-source ChatGPT-style interface for any model | Open-source local frontend for roleplay with any LLM backend |
| Category | Chat assistants | Chat assistants |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free |
| Starting price | See pricing page | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes, fully free |
| Made by | Open WebUI | SillyTavern community |
| Based in | – | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
SillyTavern 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
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
SillyTavern
- Works with almost any model
- Chats stay on your machine
- Very deep customization
- Requires local install and setup
- Busy interface for beginners
- You manage API costs yourself
Which one should you choose?
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.
Choose SillyTavern if you want:
- Works with almost any model
- Chats stay on your machine
- Very deep customization
Watch out: requires local install and setup.
Open WebUI vs SillyTavern FAQ
What is the difference between Open WebUI and SillyTavern?
Open WebUI: Self-hosted, open-source ChatGPT-style interface for any model. SillyTavern: Open-source local frontend for roleplay with any LLM backend. Both are chat assistants tools.
Is Open WebUI or SillyTavern cheaper?
SillyTavern is completely free, while Open WebUI is freemium.
Do Open WebUI and SillyTavern have free plans?
Open WebUI: Yes. SillyTavern: Yes, fully free.
Who makes Open WebUI?
Open WebUI is made by Open WebUI.
Who makes SillyTavern?
SillyTavern is made by SillyTavern community.
Which should I choose, Open WebUI or SillyTavern?
Choose Open WebUI if you value runs fully on your own servers and works with local and cloud models. Choose SillyTavern if you value works with almost any model and chats stay on your machine.