BYOAIK (Bring Your Own AI Key) is a directory of AI tools that run on your own API key.
Open WebUI
Feature-rich, self-hosted web UI for LLMs with full bring-your-own-key support across OpenAI, Ollama, and any OpenAI-compatible provider.
- Category:
- AI Chat Interfaces
- Maintenance:
- Actively developed (last commit 9 days ago)
- Pricing:
- Open Source
- Open source:
- Yes (Open WebUI License (source-available, with branding-preservation clause))
- Self-hostable:
- Yes
- Local-first:
- Yes
- Platforms:
- Web, Self-hosted, Mobile, Docker
- AI providers (bring your own key):
- OpenAI, Ollama, OpenRouter, Groq, Mistral, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Custom / OpenAI-compatible
- API key storage:
- Stored in browser storage
- Key risk level:
- MEDIUM
- Trust score:
- 79/100
Open WebUI is an extensible, self-hosted web interface for chatting with large language models. Originally an Ollama frontend, it is now fully provider-agnostic: users can add their own API keys and configure arbitrary OpenAI-compatible base URLs via both Admin Settings > Connections and per-user User Settings > Connections (Direct Connections), with personal keys stored client-side in browser local storage rather than on the server. This lets end users plug in their own OpenAI, OpenRouter, Groq, Mistral, LMStudio, Anthropic (OpenAI-compatible), and Google Gemini (OpenAI-compatible) keys, alongside native Ollama/local model support. It ships extensive features including RAG with multiple vector databases, model management, and a PWA for mobile. Deployable via Docker, pip, or Kubernetes; ~142k GitHub stars, 163 releases (v0.9.6 in June 2026), and very active development. Source-available under the Open WebUI License (includes a branding-preservation clause), with an optional commercial enterprise plan.
Why this trust score (79/100)
Trust measures how the tool treats your API key and how much of that has been verified. It contains no popularity signal.
- Key Safety 13/25: The key is persisted in browser local storage, which any script on the page can read.
- Request Routing 20/20: Requests go straight from you to the AI provider. The provider endpoint is configurable, so you can point it at the provider or your own gateway.
- Transparency 15/20: Source is public, though the licence is unclear or non-standard. Key handling was located in the published source.
- Privacy 14/15: Local-first: it works without sending your data anywhere. Can be self-hosted, so the data path stays inside infrastructure you control.
- Maintenance 10/10: Actively developed: commits within the last three months.
- Verification Confidence 7/10: Key handling was found in the published source by BYOAIK's scanner.
What was checked
Verification tier SOURCE_VERIFIED, derived from the evidence below and not set by hand.
- [REPORTED · RESEARCH] This listing was compiled by an AI-assisted research pass over the tool's public website, README and documentation. No person independently confirmed it.
- [STRONG · SOURCE_SCAN] The user supplies their own OpenAI key: the project references its API key variable. source
- [STRONG · SOURCE_SCAN] Supports a local model backend, so it can run with no cloud provider key at all. source
- [STRONG · SOURCE_SCAN] The provider endpoint is configurable, so requests can be pointed straight at the provider or at your own gateway. source
- [CONFIRMED · SOURCE_SCAN] Ships a container definition, so it can be self-hosted on your own infrastructure. source
- [CONFIRMED · SOURCE_SCAN] Most recent commit 2026-07-27, about 1 month(s) ago. source
How your API key is handled
Your API key is stored in your browser's local storage. Requests are sent directly to the AI provider. Because it can be self-hosted, your key never has to touch a third-party backend.
Setup
Open the extension/app settings, paste your provider API key (kept in your browser), and pick a model.