---
title: "gpustack vs open-webui"
type: "comparison"
canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/gpustack-gpustack-vs-open-webui-open-webui"
tools: ["gpustack-gpustack", "open-webui-open-webui"]
---

# gpustack vs open-webui

*GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026*

## Verdict

Pick gpustack when license: gpustack is Apache-2.0, open-webui is Other; pick open-webui when license: open-webui is Other, gpustack is Apache-2.0.

[gpustack](https://gpustack.ai) reports 5.3k GitHub stars, 566 forks, and 609 open issues, last pushed Jul 10, 2026. [open-webui](https://openwebui.com) has 145k stars, 21k forks, and 391 open issues, last pushed Jul 10, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [gpustack's repository](https://github.com/gpustack/gpustack) and [open-webui's repository](https://github.com/open-webui/open-webui).

| | [gpustack](/tools/gpustack-gpustack.md) | [open-webui](/tools/open-webui-open-webui.md) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tagline | A GPU cluster manager for high-performance AI model serving (vLLM, SGLang) and on-demand SSH-accessible GPU instances. | User-friendly AI Interface (Supports Ollama, OpenAI API, ...) |
| Stars | 5,301 | 145,029 |
| Forks | 566 | 21,005 |
| Open issues | 609 | 391 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Adopt for | - | Suitable for developers working with large language models who require a user-friendly interface and support for multiple APIs including Ollama and OpenAI. |
| Persona | - | - |
| Runtime | - | - |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Other |
| Categories | Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks, Vector Databases | Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks |

## Trust and health

_Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._

| | [gpustack](/tools/gpustack-gpustack.md) | [open-webui](/tools/open-webui-open-webui.md) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Days since push | 1d | 0d |
| Open issues (now) | 609 | 391 |
| Security scan | No lockfile | No MCP manifest |
| Full report | [trust report](/tools/gpustack-gpustack/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/open-webui-open-webui/trust.md) |

## Decision facts: open-webui

- **Adopt for:** Suitable for developers working with large language models who require a user-friendly interface and support for multiple APIs including Ollama and OpenAI.

## Choose when

### Choose gpustack if…

- License: gpustack is Apache-2.0, open-webui is Other.
- Tags unique to gpustack: ascend, cuda, deepseek, distributed-inference.
- Also covers Vector Databases.

### Choose open-webui if…

- License: open-webui is Other, gpustack is Apache-2.0.
- Tags unique to open-webui: ai, llm, openai, self-hosted.
- When you need to integrate multiple AI services, such as Ollama and OpenAI, into a unified user interface.

## When NOT to use gpustack

- Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic.
- LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves.
- Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate.

## When NOT to use open-webui

- When looking for tooling that exclusively supports APIs other than Ollama and OpenAI, as these are specific areas of focus for open-webui.
- If the requirement is a highly specialized interface tailored to specific tasks rather than a general AI interaction platform.

## Common questions

### What is the difference between gpustack and open-webui?

gpustack: A GPU cluster manager for high-performance AI model serving (vLLM, SGLang) and on-demand SSH-accessible GPU instances.. open-webui: User-friendly AI Interface (Supports Ollama, OpenAI API, ...). See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.

### When should I choose gpustack over open-webui?

Choose gpustack over open-webui when License: gpustack is Apache-2.0, open-webui is Other; Tags unique to gpustack: ascend, cuda, deepseek, distributed-inference; Also covers Vector Databases.

### When should I choose open-webui over gpustack?

Choose open-webui over gpustack when License: open-webui is Other, gpustack is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to open-webui: ai, llm, openai, self-hosted; When you need to integrate multiple AI services, such as Ollama and OpenAI, into a unified user interface.

### When should I avoid gpustack?

Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic. LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate.

### When should I avoid open-webui?

When looking for tooling that exclusively supports APIs other than Ollama and OpenAI, as these are specific areas of focus for open-webui. If the requirement is a highly specialized interface tailored to specific tasks rather than a general AI interaction platform.

### Is gpustack or open-webui more popular on GitHub?

open-webui has more GitHub stars (145,029 vs 5,301). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.

### Are gpustack and open-webui open source?

Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (gpustack: Apache-2.0, open-webui: Other).

### Where can I find alternatives to gpustack or open-webui?

GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [gpustack alternatives](/tools/gpustack-gpustack/alternatives) and [open-webui alternatives](/tools/open-webui-open-webui/alternatives) ([gpustack markdown twin](/tools/gpustack-gpustack/alternatives.md), [open-webui markdown twin](/tools/open-webui-open-webui/alternatives.md)), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes.

### Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison?

Yes. The markdown twin at [this comparison](/compare/gpustack-gpustack-vs-open-webui-open-webui.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.

### Which is better maintained, gpustack or open-webui?

gpustack: Very active. open-webui: Very active. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance.

### Where are the full trust reports for gpustack and open-webui?

GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [gpustack trust report](/tools/gpustack-gpustack/trust); [open-webui trust report](/tools/open-webui-open-webui/trust).

---

**Machine-readable endpoints**

- JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=gpustack-gpustack`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=gpustack-gpustack)
- LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt)
- Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt)

_GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_
