kitio.aitext-generation-webui vs LocalAI
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. text-generation-webui starts at Free and LocalAI starts at Free. 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
- Multiple model backends
- Chat and notebook modes
- Sampling controls
- LoRA training
- OpenAI-compatible API
- OpenAI-compatible API
- Multiple backends
- Text, image and audio
- Model gallery
- Docker images
| Feature | text-generation-webui | LocalAI |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Gradio web interface for running local LLMs with many backends | Self-hosted, OpenAI-compatible API for local text, image and audio models |
| Category | Models & APIs | Models & APIs |
| Pricing model | Free | Free |
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes, fully free | Yes, fully free |
| Made by | oobabooga | LocalAI contributors |
| Based in | – | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
|
Both offer: OpenAI-compatible API.
Pricing compared
text-generation-webui starts at Free and LocalAI starts at Free. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
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
text-generation-webui
- Very configurable
- Supports many formats
- Large extension ecosystem
- Busy interface
- Setup issues on some systems
- Less polished than desktop apps
LocalAI
- One API for many model types
- Runs without a GPU
- Fully self-hosted
- Setup can be fiddly
- Performance varies by backend
- Smaller community than Ollama
Which one should you choose?
Choose text-generation-webui if you want:
- Very configurable
- Supports many formats
- Large extension ecosystem
Watch out: busy interface.
Choose LocalAI if you want:
- One API for many model types
- Runs without a GPU
- Fully self-hosted
Watch out: setup can be fiddly.
text-generation-webui vs LocalAI FAQ
What is the difference between text-generation-webui and LocalAI?
text-generation-webui: Gradio web interface for running local LLMs with many backends. LocalAI: Self-hosted, OpenAI-compatible API for local text, image and audio models. Both are models & apis tools.
Is text-generation-webui or LocalAI cheaper?
text-generation-webui starts at Free and LocalAI starts at Free. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do text-generation-webui and LocalAI have free plans?
text-generation-webui: Yes, fully free. LocalAI: Yes, fully free.
Who makes text-generation-webui?
text-generation-webui is made by oobabooga.
Who makes LocalAI?
LocalAI is made by LocalAI contributors.
Which should I choose, text-generation-webui or LocalAI?
Choose text-generation-webui if you value very configurable and supports many formats. Choose LocalAI if you value one api for many model types and runs without a gpu.