Building Your ChatGPT-like App with Open Source Libraries: A Comprehensive Guide

In recent years, AI applications, particularly chatbots such as ChatGPT, have rapidly become widely used utilities in many sectors. However, growing concerns about data security and privacy have prompted start-ups and open-source communities to develop more secure and privacy-oriented solutions using free and secure AI models.

Today, a growing number of open-source UI libraries and ready-to-use containers allow developers to rapidly develop powerful sovereign AI chatbots by relying on well-trained open-source models.

Best Free Libraries and Containers for AI Chatbot Development

This blog post compares six free AI libraries that can help you easily build a ChatGPT-like app.

Open WebUI: A Robust Solution for Deploying AI Models

Use case: All-in-one solution for developers and enterprises looking for advanced deployment and customization options based on secure AI models.

Open WebUI (formerly Ollama WebUI), is a feature-rich, all-in-one solution ideal for developers and enterprises alike. Thanks to its advanced customization and deployment options through Docker or Kubernetes, developers can build ChatGPT-like apps with secure AI models.

Key Features of Open WebUI

• Easy installation using Docker or Kubernetes
• OpenAI API integration to access all Open-AI compatible APIs
• Full Markdown and LaTeX support
• Role-based Access Control (RBAC) for secure user management
• Pipelines Plugin Framework is used to add custom logic and external tools
• RAG and web search support integrating search APIs like DuckDuckGo, Google PSE, and others.

Danswer: Simplifying Knowledge Management for AI Applications

Use case: Danswer is ideal for building knowledge management systems, Q&A bots, and research assistants using secure AI models with extensive data integration needs.

As a top ChatGPT alternative, Danswer is your go-to tool for Q&A tasks, featuring strong RAG integration and enhanced data source management. Designed as an AI assistant, it connects directly to your company's documentation, datasheets, and other resources, making information easily accessible. Its admin panel allows you to manage data access and user control with ease. Released under the Apache 2.0 license, Danswer is widely accessible, making it an ideal choice for commercial projects.

Key features of Danswer

• RAG Support for information retrieval from multiple sources
• Multilingual support for global usage
• Compatible with any LLM
• Admin dashboard for controlling user access and managing data
• Docker support, making deployment easy and scalable
• Slack integration to get answers and search results directly in Slack.

RAGApp: Optimized for Document Retrieval Chatbots

Use case: Best for building specialized chatbots that rely heavily on document retrieval, such as legal or scientific assistants.

RAGApp focuses on retrieval-augmented generation, making it ideal for open-source AI chatbots that tackle information-heavy tasks. It is designed to handle domain-specific documents, providing accurate answers into specialized fields. While RAGApp shines in its retrieval capabilities, its multilingual support still falls short compared to other options.

Key features of RAGApp

• Offers specialized RAG capabilities for document-based retrieval systems
• Python-based deployment makes it easy to integrate into custom applications
• Lightweight and resource-efficient, it is perfect for scaling large datasets.

How to Build a ChatGPT-like App with Free Libraries

Gradio: Rapid Prototyping for AI Applications

Use case: Gradio is ideal for researchers and educators who want to demonstrate models quickly, as well as for developers who want to create user-friendly AI tools for non-technical audiences.

Gradio continues to be a favorite among developers for rapid prototyping of AI applications. It makes building ChatGPT-like customizable, interactive UIs for AI models easy, and its live translation support boosts its already impressive multilingual AI chatbot capabilities.

Key features of Gradio

• Easy-to-use UI builder with flexible deployment options, whether locally or in the cloud
• Multilingual support, making it accessible to users worldwide
• Seamless integration with popular frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch.

Vercel AI SDK: Seamless Integration with Front-End Applications

Use case: Best suited for web developers who need to integrate AI into web apps with minimal backend configuration.

One of the best free AI libraries, Vercel AI SDK is designed for developers working on front-end AI chatbot applications using frameworks like React, Next.js, Vue, Svelte, Node.js, and others. It seamlessly integrates with Vercel’s deployment infrastructure, providing real-time AI capabilities designed for serverless environments. Although the SDK does not come with native RAG support, it stands out for its multilingual interfaces and easy scalability.

Key features of Vercel AI SDK

• JavaScript SDK designed for front-end developers
• Easy scaling through Vercel’s integrated deployment solution
• Multilingual UI support, making it ideal for building global applications.

Chainlit: A Powerful Tool for Building Complex Conversational AI

Use case: Chainlit is perfect for developers building complex conversational AI that requires retrieval-augmented information and robust user management.

Chainlit is designed to simplify the process of creating conversational AI interfaces. The library offers an all-in-one platform for building interactive ChatGPT-like apps with enhanced RAG capabilities. With its complete admin panel and multilingual support, Chainlit has become a favorite among developers.

Key features of Chainlit

• Customizable front-end for creating personalized chatbot experiences
• Admin tools for management of users and conversations
• It supports RAG and LLM, making it ideal for chatbot development
• Multilingual support.

Deployment Options for AI Chatbot Applications

Conclusion: Choosing the Right Tool for Your AI Chatbot

Thanks to these ever-evolving UI libraries and containers, developers can access top free AI libraries and open-source AI chatbot solutions with low entry barriers. This means building a ChatGPT alternative is now easier than ever.

Open WebUI and Danswer stand out for their advanced RAG integration and administration panels, making them reliable choices for complex configurations.
Chainlit and Gradio are perfect for rapid prototyping and deploying web applications.

If you need something for retrieval-heavy applications, RAGApp remains your best choice, while Vercel AI SDK offers a robust platform for building interactive, multilingual chatbots with robust user management.

Now that you've chosen the best open-source front-end library, the next step is powering it with an AI engine. Scaleway's Generative APIs offer a straightforward solution, fully compliant with EU standards, and work seamlessly with common frameworks to help bring your chatbot to life.