danny-avila/LibreChat
Enhanced ChatGPT Clone: Features Agents, MCP, DeepSeek, Anthropic, AWS, OpenAI, Responses API, Azure, Groq, o1, GPT-5, Mistral, OpenRouter, Vertex AI, Gemini, Artifacts, AI model switching, message search, Code Interpreter, langchain, DALL-E-3, OpenAPI Actions, Functions, Secure Multi-User Auth, Presets, open-source for self-hosting. Active.
The leading self-hosted ChatGPT alternative -- 35,340 GitHub stars, MIT license, and official MCP client status as of 2026. One dashboard for 20+ AI providers (Claude, Groq, DeepSeek); deploy with Docker or Railway in minutes.
Best for
Our Review
LibreChat is the most starred self-hosted ChatGPT alternative -- 35,340 GitHub stars as of April 2026. Danny Avila built it in TypeScript under MIT license; users add API keys to proxy 20+ providers into one UI.
What LibreChat does:
- •20+ AI provider support connect Anthropic Claude, OpenAI, Groq, Mistral, Ollama, and more with your API keys.
- •No-code Agents build with official MCP client from modelcontextprotocol.io.
- •Sandboxed Code Interpreter run Python, Node.js, Go, Rust code directly in chat.
- •Code Artifacts generate React apps, HTML, Mermaid diagrams on the fly.
- •Enterprise auth deploy OAuth2, LDAP, Keycloak for multi-user access.
- •Image generation use DALL-E 3, Stable Diffusion, Flux via chat.
- •Resumable streams sync chats across tabs/devices with Redis scaling.
- •One-click deploys launch on Railway, Zeabur, Docker in minutes.
LibreChat ecosystem:
- •MCP servers official client integrates custom agent protocols.
- •Ollama + local models proxy self-hosted LLMs alongside cloud APIs.
- •Redis for scaling add nodes for high-traffic teams.
- •DeepSeek, Grok integrations route queries to latest open models.
Getting started:
Clone the repo, copy .env.example to .env, add your API keys, then run docker compose up -d. Access at localhost:3080. Full docs in README.
Limitations:
Users supply their own API keys -- no free inference included. Initial Docker setup takes 10-15 minutes. Large teams need Redis for sync. No native mobile app.
Cons
- Requires user-provided API keys for all AI providers.
- Docker and env setup needed; not zero-config.
- No built-in model hosting -- proxies external services only.
- Horizontal scaling demands Redis configuration.
Our Verdict
Vibe Builders gain a single dashboard to ditch five AI subscriptions and tab-switching fatigue. Deploy LibreChat once, add keys for Claude, Groq, OpenAI -- chat freely without per-provider logins.
Developers deploy production LLM proxies with OAuth2 auth and MCP agents. Redis enables multi-node scaling for teams; sandboxed interpreters run code securely in-chat.
Skip LibreChat if you avoid any setup or prefer fully managed SaaS. Basic users without API keys find no value here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is LibreChat used for?
LibreChat consolidates 20+ AI providers into one self-hosted web UI. Vibe Builders use it to end subscription sprawl across ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Developers proxy APIs for team workflows with enterprise auth. Deploy it via docker compose up to test locally with your own keys.
Is LibreChat free and open-source?
LibreChat runs free after API key setup. MIT license allows full customization. Danny Avila maintains it with 35,340 stars as of April 2026. Start it via `docker run -p 3080:3080 ghcr.io/danny-avila/librechat:latest`. It supports OpenAI, Anthropic, and local Ollama models in one interface.
How does LibreChat compare to ChatGPT?
LibreChat self-hosts with no per-message fees post-setup; ChatGPT charges subscriptions. LibreChat adds 20+ providers and MCP agents; ChatGPT locks to OpenAI models. Run LibreChat via `docker-compose up` to access local Ollama models like Llama3 alongside APIs. Choose LibreChat when self-hosting matters, ChatGPT when zero setup suffices.
Does LibreChat support MCP servers?
LibreChat serves as the official MCP client at modelcontextprotocol.io. Connect no-code agents to custom MCP servers directly in the chat interface. Configure servers by adding a JSON block in Settings > MCP Servers; no SDK or coding required for standard integrations.
How do I install LibreChat?
Run `docker compose up -d` after cloning and setting .env API keys. Start by `git clone https://github.com/danny-avila/LibreChat.git`, `cp .env.example .env`, edit keys like OPENAI_API_KEY. Latest release v0.8.4 from March 20, 2026 supports one-click Railway deploys too. Choose Railway when skipping local server management.
What is LibreChat?
The leading self-hosted ChatGPT alternative -- 35,340 GitHub stars, MIT license, and official MCP client status as of 2026. One dashboard for 20+ AI providers (Claude, Groq, DeepSeek); deploy with Docker or Railway in minutes.
What license does LibreChat use?
LibreChat uses the MIT license.
What are alternatives to LibreChat?
Explore related tools and alternatives on My AI Guide.
Great for: Pro Vibe Builders
Skip if: You need something more beginner-friendly or guided
Open source & community-verified
MIT licensed — free to use in any project, no strings attached. 35,758 developers have starred this, meaning the community has reviewed and trusted it.
Reviewed by My AI Guide for relevance, quality, and active maintenance before listing.