Install open-webui with Homebrew Cask

Project links

• Homepage
• Repository
• Package manager page

Commands and aliases

No executable aliases were found in the local package database.

Project history

The official desktop project was developed as an Electron shell capable of managing a local Open WebUI service or connecting to remote instances. Its first changelog release included local server lifecycle management, connection switching, Open Terminal, llama.cpp integration, logging, updates, and cross-platform packaging.

Subsequent releases added Spotlight quick chat, screenshot capture, voice input, broader ARM64 packaging, connection and model-management improvements, and reliability fixes across macOS, Windows, Linux, Wayland, and constrained graphics environments.

Adoption history

The desktop application packages a traditionally server-oriented Open WebUI installation into a one-click native experience for macOS, Windows, and Linux. It can also serve as a client for multiple existing remote Open WebUI deployments.

Cross-platform installers, automatic updates, offline operation after initial setup, Spotlight-style quick chat, voice input, and optional local llama.cpp inference broaden the project's reach beyond container and Python users.

How it is used

Launch the application and either install its managed local Open WebUI service or add an existing remote server. Users can switch among connections from the sidebar.

For offline inference, enable the bundled llama.cpp workflow and download a compatible model. The global Spotlight shortcut provides quick chat, screenshot, and voice workflows outside the main window.

Why package nerds care

Open WebUI Desktop collapses several normally separate packages—a web UI, local backend, Python environment, optional llama.cpp runtime, model storage, and Electron shell—into one desktop-managed installation.

It remains useful to self-hosting enthusiasts because the same client can switch between its managed local service and independently operated Open WebUI servers.

Timeline

• 2026-03-20: Desktop version 0.0.1 introduced local server management, connections, llama.cpp, Open Terminal, updates, and cross-platform installers.
• 2026-04-06: Version 0.0.2 introduced the Spotlight quick-chat interface.
• 2026-04-20: The main Open WebUI 0.9.0 release announced the official desktop app for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
• 2026-04-28: Desktop 0.0.15 added native Windows and Linux ARM64 builds.

Related projects

• Open WebUI supplies the underlying web application and server.
• llama.cpp provides the optional built-in local inference engine.
• Open Terminal is integrated as a desktop-managed terminal service.
• Remote Ollama or other OpenAI-compatible model services can be reached through Open WebUI's server capabilities.

Sources

• https://docs.openwebui.com/
• https://github.com/open-webui/desktop#readme
• https://github.com/open-webui/desktop/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md
• https://github.com/open-webui/desktop/blob/main/src/main/utils/index.ts