--- title: "open-webui vs serge" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/open-webui-open-webui-vs-serge-chat-serge" tools: ["open-webui-open-webui", "serge-chat-serge"] --- # open-webui vs serge *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick open-webui if open WebUI is a Python-based web interface for interacting with AI models and APIs, including Ollama and OpenAI. It supports self-hosting and can be installed via pip or Docker, with options for CUDA acceleration; pick serge if serge is a web interface for interacting with the Alpaca model via llama.cpp, fully dockerized and easy to start using. [open-webui](https://openwebui.com) reports 152k GitHub stars, 22k forks, and 300 open issues, last pushed Sep 18, 2026. [serge](https://serge.chat) has 5.7k stars, 388 forks, and 33 open issues, last pushed Nov 21, 2025. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [open-webui's repository](https://github.com/open-webui/open-webui) and [serge's repository](https://github.com/serge-chat/serge). | | [open-webui](/tools/open-webui-open-webui.md) | [serge](/tools/serge-chat-serge.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | User-friendly AI Interface | Web interface for chatting with Alpaca through llama.cpp | | Stars | 152,445 | 5,712 | | Forks | 22,306 | 388 | | Open issues | 300 | 33 | | Language | Python | Svelte | | Adopt for | Open WebUI is a Python-based web interface for interacting with AI models and APIs, including Ollama and OpenAI. It supports self-hosting and can be installed via pip or Docker, with options for CUDA acceleration. | Serge is a web interface for interacting with the Alpaca model via llama.cpp, fully dockerized and easy to start using. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Other | Licensed under dual licenses of Apache-2.0 and MIT License. | | Categories | Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks | Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [open-webui](/tools/open-webui-open-webui.md) | [serge](/tools/serge-chat-serge.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Archived (8%) | | Days since push | 0d | 289d | | Archived on GitHub | No | Yes | | Open issues (now) | 300 | 33 | | Stars delta | +3.6k (30d) | -4 (30d) | | Open issues delta | -98 (30d) | 0 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/open-webui-open-webui/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/serge-chat-serge/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: open-webui - **Adopt for:** Open WebUI is a Python-based web interface for interacting with AI models and APIs, including Ollama and OpenAI. It supports self-hosting and can be installed via pip or Docker, with options for CUDA acceleration. ## Decision facts: serge - **Pricing:** freemium - Serge is open source, permitting free use and alteration under its dual licenses, Apache-2.0 and MIT. - **Requirements:** Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker - **Adopt for:** Serge is a web interface for interacting with the Alpaca model via llama.cpp, fully dockerized and easy to start using. - **License detail:** Licensed under dual licenses of Apache-2.0 and MIT License. ## Choose when ### Choose open-webui if… - open-webui is primarily Python; serge is Svelte. - License: open-webui is Other, serge is Apache-2.0. - Tags unique to open-webui: ai, llm, llm-ui, llm-webui. - When you need a user-friendly web interface to interact with AI models and APIs, including Ollama and OpenAI. ### Choose serge if… - serge is primarily Svelte; open-webui is Python. - License: serge is Apache-2.0, open-webui is Other. - Pricing: Serge is open source, permitting free use and alteration under its dual licenses, Apache-2.0 and MIT.. - Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker. - Tags unique to serge: alpaca, docker, fastapi, llama. - Use Serge when you need an out-of-the-box solution for chatting with the Alpaca model without deep technical setup knowledge. Its pre-configured Docker image ensures quick deployment. ## When NOT to use open-webui - If you do not require a web-based interface and prefer command-line interaction with AI models. - When you are working with Python versions other than 3.11, as Open WebUI may have compatibility issues. - If you do not have the necessary Nvidia CUDA container toolkit installed for CUDA support. - When you need a solution that does not require preserving the 'Open WebUI' branding as per the license. ## When NOT to use serge - Avoid Serge if you require a custom model other than Alpaca or need capabilities not provided by the llama.cpp backend. It is specifically tailored for this configuration. - Do not use Serge if your project strictly demands a single software license; it uses both MIT and Apache-2.0, which may conflict with third-party dependencies. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between open-webui and serge? open-webui: User-friendly AI Interface. serge: Web interface for chatting with Alpaca through llama.cpp. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose open-webui over serge? Choose open-webui over serge when open-webui is primarily Python; serge is Svelte; License: open-webui is Other, serge is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to open-webui: ai, llm, llm-ui, llm-webui; When you need a user-friendly web interface to interact with AI models and APIs, including Ollama and OpenAI. ### When should I choose serge over open-webui? Choose serge over open-webui when serge is primarily Svelte; open-webui is Python; License: serge is Apache-2.0, open-webui is Other; Pricing: Serge is open source, permitting free use and alteration under its dual licenses, Apache-2.0 and MIT.; Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Tags unique to serge: alpaca, docker, fastapi, llama; Use Serge when you need an out-of-the-box solution for chatting with the Alpaca model without deep technical setup knowledge. Its pre-configured Docker image ensures quick deployment. ### When should I avoid open-webui? If you do not require a web-based interface and prefer command-line interaction with AI models. When you are working with Python versions other than 3.11, as Open WebUI may have compatibility issues. If you do not have the necessary Nvidia CUDA container toolkit installed for CUDA support. When you need a solution that does not require preserving the 'Open WebUI' branding as per the license. ### When should I avoid serge? Avoid Serge if you require a custom model other than Alpaca or need capabilities not provided by the llama.cpp backend. It is specifically tailored for this configuration. Do not use Serge if your project strictly demands a single software license; it uses both MIT and Apache-2.0, which may conflict with third-party dependencies. ### Is open-webui or serge more popular on GitHub? open-webui has more GitHub stars (152,445 vs 5,712). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are open-webui and serge open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (open-webui: Other, serge: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to open-webui or serge? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [open-webui alternatives](/tools/open-webui-open-webui/alternatives) and [serge alternatives](/tools/serge-chat-serge/alternatives) ([open-webui markdown twin](/tools/open-webui-open-webui/alternatives.md), [serge markdown twin](/tools/serge-chat-serge/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/open-webui-open-webui-vs-serge-chat-serge.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, open-webui or serge? open-webui: Very active. serge: Archived. 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 open-webui and serge? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [open-webui trust report](/tools/open-webui-open-webui/trust); [serge trust report](/tools/serge-chat-serge/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=open-webui-open-webui`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=open-webui-open-webui) - 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/_