# The best Open WebUI alternative

Onyx goes beyond AI chat with enterprise search across 40+ tools, permission-aware RAG, managed cloud, and SSO. Everything you need to deploy AI across your organization.

| Feature | Onyx | Open WebUI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Open-source (MIT license) | Yes | Custom restrictive license  |
| Managed cloud offering | Yes | No |
| Integrated Company Knowledge | +33 more 40+ indexed enterprise connectors | Manual file upload + vector DB config  |
| Permission syncing from source systems | Yes | No |
| Model-agnostic (any LLM) | Yes | Yes |
| Custom agents with actions (MCP/OpenAPI) | Yes | Tools, Functions, Pipelines + MCP support |

1 Open WebUI changed its license in April 2025 from BSD-3 to a custom "Open WebUI License" that requires mandatory branding retention and a CLA for contributions. This license is not OSI-approved open source.

2 Open WebUI supports RAG via vector database, but requires manual document upload and significant configuration. There are no native connectors to automatically sync data.

## Pricing Comparison

### Onyx

Self-host for free

### Open WebUI

Self-host for free  
Try Business edition on our Cloud ($20/user/month). 14-day free trial. No credit card required.

Enterprise edition adds SLAs, dedicated support, and white-labeling.

Self-host only—no managed cloud. Enterprise license required to remove branding for 50+ user deployments. Opaque pricing for enterprises.

## Detailed Comparison

### Licensing: MIT vs. Restrictive Custom License

#### Onyx

Onyx's community edition is MIT-licensed — the gold standard for open source. Fork it, modify it, embed it in your product, white-label it. No branding requirements, no CLA, no strings attached. The enterprise edition adds SAML SSO, advanced permissions, and dedicated support.

#### Open WebUI

Open WebUI changed its license in April 2025 from BSD-3 to a custom "Open WebUI License." You are prohibited from removing or modifying Open WebUI branding in any deployment with 50+ users unless you purchase an enterprise license. This effectively prevents meaningful forks and forces commercial users to either keep the Open WebUI brand or pay. The license is not OSI-approved.

### Managed Cloud vs. Self-Host Only

### AI Platform vs. Chat UI

### Permission-Aware Access Control

### Production Readiness & Scale

### Developer Experience

### Meet Your Team Where They Work

## Which is Right for You?

### Onyx is best for
- Teams of any size that want a better AI chat experience with multi-model support across OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, AWS Bedrock, Azure, and more
- Anyone who wants AI connected to their data: 40+ connectors to Slack, Google Drive, Confluence, Jira, GitHub, and more with automatic syncing and permission controls
- Teams that don't want to manage infrastructure: Onyx Cloud is fully managed at $20/user/month, or self-host for free
- Organizations that need AI everywhere: web app, CLI, Chrome extension, desktop app, Slack bot, Discord bot, and embeddable widget
- Teams of all sizes that value a true MIT license with no branding restrictions

### Open WebUI is best for
- Individual hobbyists wanting a self-hosted ChatGPT-like UI for local LLMs with no need for team features

## Frequently Asked Questions

- Is Open WebUI the same as Onyx?
- Is Open WebUI really open source?
- Can I add enterprise search to Open WebUI?
- Does Open WebUI have a managed cloud option?
- Should I choose Open WebUI or Onyx?

## Get Started Today

Start your 14-day free trial of Onyx (no credit card required)

[Try Onyx Cloud](https://cloud.onyx.app/auth/signup?utm_source=onyx.app&utm_medium=cta&utm_campaign=main-site&utm_content=signup-button)

### Secure

Enterprise-grade security and compliance. Flexible and secure deployment options.

### Open-Source

Deep customizability optimized for your use case, supported by a large Open-Source community.

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### Trusted by top teams

[Case study](/content/blog-assets/ramp-case-study.pdf)

[Case study](/content/blog-assets/ramp-case-study.pdf)

Best Open WebUI Alternative (2026) | Onyx vs Open WebUI Comparison | Onyx AI