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

# gateway vs open-webui

*GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026*

## Verdict

Pick gateway when gateway is primarily Go; open-webui is Python; pick open-webui when open-webui is primarily Python; gateway is Go.

[gateway](https://www.missing.studio) reports 159 GitHub stars, 17 forks, and 10 open issues, last pushed Apr 8, 2024. [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 [gateway's repository](https://github.com/missingstudio/gateway) and [open-webui's repository](https://github.com/open-webui/open-webui).

| | [gateway](/tools/missingstudio-gateway.md) | [open-webui](/tools/open-webui-open-webui.md) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tagline | [deprecated] AI Gateway - core infrastructure stack for building production-ready AI Applications | User-friendly AI Interface (Supports Ollama, OpenAI API, ...) |
| Stars | 159 | 145,029 |
| Forks | 17 | 21,005 |
| Open issues | 10 | 391 |
| Language | Go | 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 | Computer Vision, Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks | Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks |

## Trust and health

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

| | [gateway](/tools/missingstudio-gateway.md) | [open-webui](/tools/open-webui-open-webui.md) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Maintenance | Dormant (18%) | Very active (96%) |
| Days since push | 824d | 0d |
| Open issues (now) | 10 | 391 |
| Security scan | No lockfile | No MCP manifest |
| Full report | [trust report](/tools/missingstudio-gateway/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 gateway if…

- gateway is primarily Go; open-webui is Python.
- License: gateway is Apache-2.0, open-webui is Other.
- Tags unique to gateway: aistudio, api, gateway, generative-ai.
- Also covers Computer Vision.
- gateway ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment.

### Choose open-webui if…

- open-webui is primarily Python; gateway is Go.
- License: open-webui is Other, gateway is Apache-2.0.
- Tags unique to open-webui: 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 gateway

- Last GitHub push was 825 days ago (dormant maintenance, Apr 8, 2024). Validate activity before betting a new project on gateway.
- 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.

## 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 gateway and open-webui?

gateway: [deprecated] AI Gateway - core infrastructure stack for building production-ready AI Applications. 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 gateway over open-webui?

Choose gateway over open-webui when gateway is primarily Go; open-webui is Python; License: gateway is Apache-2.0, open-webui is Other; Tags unique to gateway: aistudio, api, gateway, generative-ai; Also covers Computer Vision; gateway ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment.

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

Choose open-webui over gateway when open-webui is primarily Python; gateway is Go; License: open-webui is Other, gateway is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to open-webui: 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 gateway?

Last GitHub push was 825 days ago (dormant maintenance, Apr 8, 2024). Validate activity before betting a new project on gateway. 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.

### 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 gateway or open-webui more popular on GitHub?

open-webui has more GitHub stars (145,029 vs 159). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.

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

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

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

GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [gateway alternatives](/tools/missingstudio-gateway/alternatives) and [open-webui alternatives](/tools/open-webui-open-webui/alternatives) ([gateway markdown twin](/tools/missingstudio-gateway/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/missingstudio-gateway-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, gateway or open-webui?

gateway: Dormant. 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 gateway and open-webui?

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

---

**Machine-readable endpoints**

- JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=missingstudio-gateway`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=missingstudio-gateway)
- 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/_
