Open WebUI & Dify

Last updated: May 2026

Dify by LangGenius takes a fundamentally different approach to AI tooling. Where most tools on this page focus on conversation, Dify focuses on building: visual workflow design, agent orchestration, prompt engineering, and deploying AI-powered applications. If you think of AI as a platform for building things rather than just chatting, Dify is worth a serious look.

GitHub · Source Available (modified Apache 2.0)

What Dify Does Well

Visual workflow builder with drag-and-drop interface for designing complex AI pipelines and logic
Agent framework for building autonomous agents that reason, use tools, and take actions
Prompt engineering IDE for crafting, versioning, testing, and comparing prompts in a dedicated environment
Workflow marketplace for sharing and importing community-built workflows and templates
Model routing with smart routing across multiple providers for cost and capability optimization
RAG pipeline with document ingestion, processing, and retrieval built in
Batch processing for running prompts and workflows against large datasets
Annotation and feedback for collecting human feedback to improve AI outputs over time
Observability including integrated monitoring, logging, and cost tracking for production use
Backend-as-a-Service for deploying AI apps as APIs instantly
Embeddable widget for adding AI chat to any website or application
Strong community with a large and active contributor and user base

What Open WebUI Does Well

Conversational AI platform with Chat, Notes, Channels, Automations, voice/video calls, and more
Any model, any provider including Ollama, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Azure, and Bedrock in one interface
Knowledge & RAG with 9 vector databases, 5 extraction engines, and hybrid search with reranking
Python extensibility with custom tools, MCP servers, pipelines, and community extensions
Team collaboration including Channels, model agents, RBAC, SSO/OIDC/LDAP, and SCIM 2.0
Open Terminal providing a full sandboxed computing environment for code execution
Simpler deployment with a single Docker container to get started

At a Glance

	Open WebUI	Dify
Primary focus	AI chat platform with knowledge, tools, and team features	AI application builder with visual workflows
Approach	Conversation-first	Build-first
Workflow building	Python tools and pipelines	Visual drag-and-drop workflow designer
RAG	9 vector DBs, 5 extraction engines, hybrid search	Built-in RAG pipeline
Agent capabilities	Model agents with bound tools and knowledge	Agent framework with reasoning and tool use
Multi-provider	Any OpenAI-compatible API + Ollama	Multi-provider with model routing
Observability	OpenTelemetry, analytics dashboards	Built-in monitoring, logging, and cost tracking
License	Open WebUI License	Source Available (modified Apache 2.0 with commercial restrictions)

When to Use Each

Choose Dify if you want to build AI-powered applications with visual workflows. The drag-and-drop builder, prompt IDE, and agent framework are designed for developers and product teams who are creating AI features, not just chatting.

Choose Open WebUI if your team needs a daily AI workspace for chat, knowledge management, and collaboration. Open WebUI focuses on using AI rather than building AI applications.

Use both. Dify exposes an OpenAI-compatible API. Connect Open WebUI to Dify's API and your Dify workflows appear as models in Open WebUI. Build in Dify, use in Open WebUI.

Use Them Together

Dify exposes an OpenAI-compatible API for any workflow or app you build. You can connect Open WebUI to Dify's API endpoint to use your Dify-built AI applications as models inside Open WebUI, combining Dify's workflow orchestration with Open WebUI's chat interface, knowledge management, and team features.

How to connect:

In Dify, publish your app and copy the API endpoint and key
In Open WebUI, go to Admin → Settings → Connections
Add a new OpenAI-compatible connection with Dify's API URL and key
Your Dify apps will appear as models in Open WebUI

Dify is for building AI applications. Open WebUI is for using AI daily. The AI ecosystem needs both builders and users.

Ready to try Open WebUI? Get started →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do Dify and Open WebUI compare? Dify takes a visual, workflow-first approach to building AI applications. Open WebUI leans more toward conversation and daily AI use. They come at AI from different angles, and many teams could use both.

Can I use Dify with Open WebUI? Yes. Dify exposes an OpenAI-compatible API. Connect Open WebUI to Dify's API to use your Dify workflows as models inside Open WebUI.

Is Dify free? The community edition is free to self-host. Dify is source available under a modified Apache 2.0 license.

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a warranty, guarantee, or contractual commitment. Open WebUI is provided "as is." See your license for applicable terms.

What Dify Does Well​

What Open WebUI Does Well​

At a Glance​

When to Use Each​

Use Them Together​

Frequently Asked Questions​