Self-hosted alternatives to ChatGPT
Short answer
The self-hosted alternatives to ChatGPT in our catalog are Open WebUI, LibreChat, LobeHub (LobeChat), AnythingLLM and Jan. Open WebUI: ChatGPT-style team chat with user accounts, document upload, web search, voice, memory and tools.
ChatGPT Business (Standard seat) costs $25 per user per month on monthly billing, or $20 per user per month on annual billing, according to OpenAI's official pricing information checked on Oct 22, 2026.
Self-hosting LibreChat starts at about €6.49/month for a Hetzner Cloud server that meets its official minimum spec, and that server cost does not grow per user. For comparison, 10 ChatGPT seats are $250/month. Model API usage (or your own GPU), backups and admin time come on top.
Main gap: None of these apps includes an AI model. You connect a model API (billed by its provider) or run open models yourself, for example with Ollama.
Last updated · ChatGPT price checked Oct 22, 2026 on the official page · sources
Which self-hosted apps replace ChatGPT
| App | What it replaces | Est. server cost | Official hardware | License | Status | Stars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open WebUI measured test data | ChatGPT-style team chat with user accounts, document upload, web search, voice, memory and tools. | not estimated (no official RAM figure) | not published | Open WebUI License (BSD-3-Clause style with branding clause) | Active | 156k |
| LibreChat measured test data | One chat interface for many AI providers at once, with agents, conversation search and file search. | from €6.49/mo | minimum 1 vCPU · 1 GB RAM (recommended 2 GB RAM) | MIT | Active | 46.1k |
| LobeHub (LobeChat) | Multi-model chat and agent workspace with plugins, file uploads and knowledge bases. | from €19.99/mo | minimum 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM · 20 GB disk (recommended 4 vCPU · 8 GB RAM · 50 GB disk) | LobeHub Community License (Apache-2.0 with conditions) | Active | 83.4k |
| AnythingLLM measured test data | Private chat with your documents plus agents, multi-user permissions and an embeddable website widget. | from €19.99/mo | minimum 2 vCPU · 2 GB RAM · 5 GB disk | MIT | Active | 67.4k |
| Jan | Desktop app that runs open models offline on each employee's computer; no server needed. | no server (desktop app) | minimum 8 GB RAM · 10 GB disk (recommended 16 GB RAM) | Apache-2.0 | Active | 45.0k |
"What it replaces" is our summary of each project's own description. Hardware and cost come from the project's official requirements; see each app page for sources.
What self-hosting does not replace
- None of these apps includes an AI model. You connect a model API (billed by its provider) or run open models yourself, for example with Ollama.
- Answer quality depends on the model you connect, not on the chat app.
- You are responsible for the server, updates, backups and user management.
Cost: ChatGPT vs self-hosting
| Team size | ChatGPT, monthly billing | ChatGPT, annual billing (per month) | Self-host LibreChat (server, min → recommended spec) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 users | $125/mo | $100/mo | €6.49–€11.99/mo |
| 10 users | $250/mo | $200/mo | €6.49–€11.99/mo |
| 25 users | $625/mo | $500/mo | €6.49–€11.99/mo |
| 50 users | $1,250/mo | $1,000/mo | €6.49–€11.99/mo |
Self-hosted server cost per app
- Open WebUI: not estimated (no official RAM figure).
- LibreChat: from €6.49/mo (recommended spec: €11.99/mo).
- LobeHub (LobeChat): from €19.99/mo (recommended spec: €35.99/mo).
- AnythingLLM: from €19.99/mo.
- Jan: no server (desktop app).
ChatGPT: ChatGPT Business (Standard seat). Minimum 2 seats. API usage is billed separately. Prices may vary by country. Self-host estimate: cheapest Hetzner Cloud Regular Performance (shared AMD vCPU) plan meeting the project's official RAM and vCPU figure, list price read 2026-10-22, EUR excl. VAT. It covers the server only: not model API usage or a GPU, backups, or your time. A server at the official minimum spec may not be enough for large teams; the recommended spec costs more where listed. We do not convert currencies.
Self-hosted ChatGPT alternatives: FAQ
What is the best self-hosted alternative to ChatGPT?
Open WebUI: ChatGPT-style team chat with user accounts, document upload, web search, voice, memory and tools. LibreChat: One chat interface for many AI providers at once, with agents, conversation search and file search. LobeHub (LobeChat): Multi-model chat and agent workspace with plugins, file uploads and knowledge bases. AnythingLLM: Private chat with your documents plus agents, multi-user permissions and an embeddable website widget. Jan: Desktop app that runs open models offline on each employee's computer; no server needed. Which fits depends on the features you need; see the gaps below.
How much does ChatGPT cost?
ChatGPT Business (Standard seat) costs $25 per user per month on monthly billing, or $20 per user per month on annual billing, according to OpenAI's official pricing information checked on Oct 22, 2026. Minimum 2 seats. API usage is billed separately. Prices may vary by country.
How much does it cost to self-host a ChatGPT alternative?
Open WebUI: not estimated (no official RAM figure); LibreChat: from €6.49/mo; LobeHub (LobeChat): from €19.99/mo; AnythingLLM: from €19.99/mo; Jan: no server (desktop app). The software is free to download; the estimate is the cheapest Hetzner Cloud plan meeting the project's official RAM and vCPU figure (EUR, excl. VAT, server only).
What does a self-hosted ChatGPT alternative not do?
None of these apps includes an AI model. You connect a model API (billed by its provider) or run open models yourself, for example with Ollama. Answer quality depends on the model you connect, not on the chat app. You are responsible for the server, updates, backups and user management.
Can a business use these ChatGPT alternatives commercially?
Open WebUI: Open WebUI License (BSD-3-Clause style with branding clause) (Custom / conditional), internal business use allowed. LibreChat: MIT (Permissive), internal business use allowed. LobeHub (LobeChat): LobeHub Community License (Apache-2.0 with conditions) (Custom / conditional), internal business use allowed. AnythingLLM: MIT (Permissive), internal business use allowed. Jan: Apache-2.0 (Permissive), internal business use allowed. Not legal advice; read each license.
Related
- Open WebUI alternatives
- LibreChat alternatives
- LobeHub (LobeChat) alternatives
- AnythingLLM alternatives
- Jan alternatives
- Open WebUI vs LibreChat
- Open WebUI vs LobeHub (LobeChat)
- Open WebUI vs AnythingLLM
- Open WebUI vs Jan
- LibreChat vs LobeHub (LobeChat)
- LibreChat vs AnythingLLM
- LibreChat vs Jan
- LobeHub (LobeChat) vs AnythingLLM
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Sources
- ChatGPT pricing (checked 2026-10-22): help.openai.com/en/articles/8792828-what-is-chatgpt-business
- Open WebUI GitHub repository: github.com/open-webui/open-webui
- Open WebUI documentation: docs.openwebui.com/getting-started/quick-start/
- Open WebUI license: github.com/open-webui/open-webui/blob/main/LICENSE
- LibreChat GitHub repository: github.com/LibreChat-AI/LibreChat
- LibreChat documentation: www.librechat.ai/docs/local/docker
- LibreChat license: github.com/LibreChat-AI/LibreChat/blob/main/LICENSE
- LobeHub (LobeChat) GitHub repository: github.com/lobehub/lobehub
- LobeHub (LobeChat) documentation: lobehub.com/docs/self-hosting/platform/docker-compose
- LobeHub (LobeChat) license: github.com/lobehub/lobehub/blob/main/LICENSE
- AnythingLLM GitHub repository: github.com/Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm
- AnythingLLM documentation: docs.anythingllm.com/installation-docker/system-requirements
- AnythingLLM license: github.com/Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm/blob/master/LICENSE
- Jan GitHub repository: github.com/janhq/jan
- Jan documentation: docs.jan.ai/desktop/install/linux
- Jan license: github.com/janhq/jan/blob/main/LICENSE
- Hetzner Cloud pricing used for cost estimates (read 2026-10-22): www.hetzner.com/cloud/regular-performance
ChatGPT is a trademark of OpenAI. SelfHostMap is independent and not affiliated with any vendor listed. Prices change; check the official page before you decide. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.