Text Generation WebUI

Text Generation WebUI is an open-source desktop and web application for running local large language models privately with text, vision, and tool-calling capabilities.

Text Generation WebUI is an open-source interface designed for running large language models locally. It supports multiple backends, including llama.cpp, ikllama.cpp, Transformers, ExLlamaV3, and TensorRT-LLM, allowing users to switch models and backends without restarting. The application accepts multimodal inputs such as images, alongside text files, PDFs, and .docx documents. Built for users who need full privacy, it runs entirely offline with zero telemetry and provides an OpenAI- and Anthropic-compatible API with tool-calling support. Additional built-in features include LoRA fine-tuning and a dedicated tab for diffusers-based image generation.

Text Generation WebUI at a glance

Best for: Software engineer, Researcher
Runs on: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, API, self-hosted, open source
Pricing: Free
Released: December 2022
Category: AI chat assistant
Website: github.com/oobabooga/textgen

Key features

Instruct, chat-instruct, chat, and notebook generation modes
Multimodal vision support for attaching images to messages
Document attachments for text, PDF, and .docx files
OpenAI- and Anthropic-compatible API endpoints with tool-calling
Tool-calling support for web search, page fetching, math, and MCP servers
Multiple backends including llama.cpp, Transformers, and ExLlamaV3
LoRA training and fine-tuning on chat or text datasets
Diffusers image generation with 4-bit and 8-bit quantization

Use it for

Chatting with local LLMs and custom characters using GGUF or Transformers models
Querying uploaded PDF, docx, and text documents locally and offline
Serving a drop-in local replacement for OpenAI or Anthropic API endpoints
Fine-tuning LoRAs on custom multi-turn chat datasets
Generating images locally using diffusers models

Companions

Tools that articles about Text Generation WebUI recommend using with it, each with its job.

Ollama — Run open models locally or in the cloud with private prompts
SearXNG — Built-in integration for web-grounded answers.
ComfyUI — Local image and video generation on a node canvas, with every model and parameter in reach
LiteLLM — Per-user keys and routing for clients outside the web UI.
Hermes Agent — Adds agentic workflows on the same local models.
Cloudflare Tunnel — Reach the homelab without opening ports.

Alternatives to Text Generation WebUI

Open WebUI — Run AI on your own terms with complete data privacy and self-hosting control.
LM Studio — Runs open source language models locally with real-time voice transcription.
llmspy.org — Self-host access to 530+ AI models across 24 providers with built-in tools.
Chat UI — It runs instantly anywhere with a web browser and weighs under 100 KB.
TTS WebUI — It offers a free web interface with over 30 AI models for audio generation.
LocalGPT — Runs fully on-premise to keep all processed data completely private.
Ncm — Generates text significantly faster than diffusion baselines while maintaining high quality.
WebLLM — Runs high-performance language models directly inside web browsers.
5ire — It supports local knowledge base management and Model Context Protocol servers.
LibreChat — Unifies multiple AI models and tools in one customizable, open-source platform.
TinyWebUI — Local-first storage in a single SQLite file with no hosted backend required.
Jina — It provides reliable reader and search APIs optimized for LLMs and RAG systems.

All Text Generation WebUI alternatives