LibreChat

LibreChat is a self-hosted ChatGPT interface that connects to every major AI provider — OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Mistral, local models via Ollama — in one unified UI. Switch between Claude and GPT-4o mid-conversation. Keep your chat history on your own server. Pay only API costs instead of $20/month subscriptions.

If you're an indie hacker using multiple AI providers, LibreChat saves money and gives you data control. The API pricing model usually beats fixed subscriptions. Open WebUI is the main competitor — better for local-only setups with Ollama. LobeChat has a slicker UI but less provider support. Typing Mind is a polished paid alternative at $79 one-time.

The catch: You need to manage your own deployment — Docker, database, auth. The UI, while functional, changes frequently between releases. And you're still paying API costs, which can surprise you if you're not watching usage. There's no built-in spend tracking.