Open WebUI Desktop Released!

Reddit r/LocalLLaMA Products
open-source desktop-app ai-chat offline cross-platform

Summary

Open WebUI Desktop launches as a native app letting users run local LLMs or connect to remote servers without Docker or terminal setup, featuring offline operation, system-wide voice input, and floating chat overlay.

Looks like this also includes llama.cpp. You can either run everything local or connect it to a remote server as well.
Original Article
View Cached Full Text

Cached at: 04/21/26, 11:37 AM

open-webui/desktop

Source: https://github.com/open-webui/desktop

Open WebUI Desktop

Version Downloads Discord License

Open WebUI Desktop

Your AI, right on your desktop. Open WebUI as a native app. Run models locally or connect to any server. No Docker, no terminal, no setup. Download, launch, chat.

Early Alpha. Things move fast and stuff might break. Report bugs or come hang out on Discord.

Download

PlatformInstaller
macOS (Apple Silicon)Download .dmg
macOS (Intel)Download .dmg
Windows x64Download .exe
Linux (AppImage)Download .AppImage
Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)Download .deb
Linux (Snap)Download .snap
Linux (Flatpak)Download .flatpak

Internet required on first launch. After that, everything works offline. All releases β†’

How It Works

πŸ–₯️ Run locally. The app sets up Open WebUI and llama.cpp on your machine. Download models, chat offline, keep everything private. Nothing leaves your computer.

☁️ Connect remotely. Point the app at any Open WebUI server. Switch between multiple connections from the sidebar.

Use both at the same time.

Highlights

  • ⚑ Spotlight. Hit Shift+Cmd+I (macOS) or Shift+Ctrl+I (Windows/Linux) to summon a floating chat bar over whatever you’re doing. Drag to screenshot anything on screen.
  • πŸŽ™οΈ Voice input. System-wide push-to-talk. Press the shortcut from any app to record, and your speech is transcribed and sent to your chat automatically.
  • 🧠 Local inference. Download and run models entirely on your hardware. Your data never leaves your machine.
  • 🎯 One-click setup. Everything installs itself. Just click β€œGet Started.”
  • πŸ”Œ Multiple connections. Juggle servers and switch between them instantly.
  • πŸ”„ Auto-updates. New releases land in the background.
  • πŸ“‘ Offline-ready. No internet needed after initial setup.
  • πŸ’» Cross-platform. macOS, Windows, and Linux.

System Requirements

Local ModelsRemote Only
Disk5 GB+~500 MB
RAM16 GB+4 GB
OSmacOS 12+, Windows 10+, modern LinuxSame

Local models need serious RAM (7B β‰ˆ 8 GB, 13B β‰ˆ 16 GB). Lighter machine? Connect to a remote server instead.

Privacy

No telemetry. No tracking. No phone-home. Your conversations stay on your machine. Period.

Community

  • πŸ’¬ Discord - Come hang out
  • πŸ› Issues - Report bugs or request features
  • 🌐 Open WebUI - The main project
  • πŸ“– Docs - Full documentation

Contributing

npm install
npm run dev

See CHANGELOG.md for release history. Licensed under AGPL-3.0.

Similar Articles

Simpler self hosted alt to Open WebUI

Reddit r/LocalLLaMA

OvertChat is a simpler, polished self-hosted alternative to Open WebUI for local AI models, featuring single Docker compose setup, built-in web search, and Kokoro TTS, all MIT licensed.