---

sidebar_position: 5
title: "Starting with OpenAI-Compatible Servers"

---

## Overview

Open WebUI isn't just for OpenAI/Ollama/Llama.cpp—you can connect **any server that implements the OpenAI-compatible API**, running locally or remotely. This is perfect if you want to run different language models, or if you already have a favorite backend or ecosystem. This guide will show you how to:

- Set up an OpenAI-compatible server (with a few popular options)
- Connect it to Open WebUI
- Start chatting right away

## Step 1: Choose an OpenAI-Compatible Server

There are many servers and tools that expose an OpenAI-compatible API. Here are some of the most popular:

- [Llama.cpp](https://github.com/ggml-org/llama.cpp): Extremely efficient, runs on CPU and GPU
- [Ollama](https://ollama.com/): Super user-friendly and cross-platform
- [LM Studio](https://lmstudio.ai/): Rich desktop app for Windows/Mac/Linux
- [Lemonade](https://lemonade-server.ai/): Fast ONNX-based backend with NPU/iGPU acceleration

Pick whichever suits your workflow!

---

#### 🍋 Get Started with Lemonade

Lemonade is a plug-and-play ONNX-based OpenAI-compatible server. Here’s how to try it on Windows:

1. [Download the latest `.exe`](https://github.com/lemonade-sdk/lemonade)
2. Run `Lemonade_Server_Installer.exe`
3. Install and download a model using Lemonade’s installer
4. Once running, your API endpoint will be:

   ```
   http://localhost:8000/api/v0
   ```

![Lemonade Server](/images/getting-started/lemonade-server.png)

See [their docs](https://lemonade-server.ai/) for details.

---

## Step 2: Connect Your Server to Open WebUI

1. Open Open WebUI in your browser.
2. Go to ⚙️ **Admin Settings** → **Connections** → **OpenAI Connections**.
3. Click ➕ **Add Connection**.

   - **URL**: Use your server’s API endpoint (for example, `http://localhost:11434/v1` for Ollama, or your own Llama.cpp server’s address).
   - **API Key**: Leave blank unless required.

4. Click Save.

:::tip

If running Open WebUI in Docker and your model server on your host machine, use `http://host.docker.internal:<your-port>/v1`.

:::

##### **For Lemonade:**  When adding Lemonade, use `http://localhost:8000/api/v0` as the URL.

![Lemonade Connection](/images/getting-started/lemonade-connection.png)

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## Step 3: Start Chatting!

Select your connected server’s model in the chat menu and get started!

That’s it! Whether you choose Llama.cpp, Ollama, LM Studio, or Lemonade, you can easily experiment and manage multiple model servers—all in Open WebUI.

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🚀 Enjoy building your perfect local AI setup!