Open WebUI & Gemini

Last updated: May 2026

Gemini brings Google's AI research into a consumer product with strong multimodal capabilities (text, vision, audio, code), generous context windows, and natural integration with Google Workspace. Gemini 3.1 Pro is among the strongest models available for code and complex tasks.

Commercial · Free tier available

What Gemini Does Well

Multimodal strength across text, images, audio, video, and code in a single model
Google Workspace integration that works naturally with Gmail, Docs, Drive, and other Google tools
Gems for creating custom AI personas with specific instructions and behavior
NotebookLM for turning documents into interactive study guides and audio overviews
Deep Research that conducts multi-step research and produces comprehensive reports
Generous context windows with Gemini 3.1 Pro handling large documents and codebases
Competitive API pricing as one of the most cost-effective APIs for high-quality models
Code generation where Gemini 3.1 Pro is among the strongest for code tasks
Google Search grounding with responses backed by Google's search infrastructure
Zero setup and available immediately through your Google account

What Open WebUI Does Well

Any model, one interface so you can use Gemini alongside Claude, GPT-5.5, Llama, and local models
Self-hosted so the platform itself runs on your infrastructure
Knowledge & RAG for persistent knowledge bases with advanced retrieval
Python extensibility with custom tools, MCP servers, pipelines, and community extensions
Team platform with Channels, Notes, Automations, RBAC, SSO/OIDC/LDAP, and SCIM 2.0
Open Terminal providing a full sandboxed computing environment

At a Glance

	Open WebUI	Gemini
Models	Any model from any provider	Gemini model family
Multimodal	Depends on connected models	Native text, vision, audio, video, code
Knowledge & RAG	9 vector DBs, 5 extraction engines, hybrid search	Google Search grounding, file uploads
Ecosystem	Connects to any API via MCP/OpenAPI	Deep Google Workspace integration
Data	Self-hosted, your infrastructure	Cloud-hosted by Google
Pricing	Free community edition; Enterprise plans available	Free tier, Advanced (Google One AI Premium)

When to Use Each

Choose Gemini if you live in the Google ecosystem and want AI that integrates naturally with Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Search. NotebookLM and Deep Research are standout features with no direct equivalent elsewhere. The API pricing is also among the most competitive.

Choose Open WebUI if you want to use Gemini alongside other providers, need persistent knowledge bases, or want to self-host. Open WebUI connects to the Google AI API so you still get Gemini's models.

Use both. Use Gemini directly for Google Workspace integration and NotebookLM. Connect Open WebUI to the Google AI API for Gemini models alongside Claude, OpenAI, and local models in one interface.

Use Gemini Through Open WebUI

Gemini models are available through Open WebUI via the Google AI API. You can use Gemini's multimodal capabilities alongside other models you connect.

How to connect:

Get an API key from aistudio.google.com
In Open WebUI, go to Admin → Settings → Connections
Add a new connection with the base URL https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai and your Google AI API key
Gemini models will appear in your model selector

Gemini brings strong multimodal AI to the Google ecosystem. Open WebUI is one way to use those models alongside others, on your own infrastructure.

Ready to try Open WebUI? Get started →

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Gemini in Open WebUI? Yes. Add your Google AI API key in Settings and Gemini models appear in the model selector.

Can I self-host Gemini? Not Gemini itself, but you can use Gemini models through Open WebUI via the Google AI API. Open WebUI runs on your infrastructure, though API calls still go to Google.

Can I use Gemini and Claude together? Yes, Open WebUI supports connecting to multiple providers at once.

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 Gemini Does Well​

What Open WebUI Does Well​

At a Glance​

When to Use Each​

Use Gemini Through Open WebUI​

Frequently Asked Questions​