Have you ever wanted to run your own ChatGPT-style AI assistant without any subscriptions or cloud dependencies? With Ollama and OpenWebUI, you can do just that—completely for free! In this guide, we’ll show you how to set up your own local chatbot using Google’s Gemma 3 model.
Why Run Your Own ChatGPT?
Running an AI chatbot locally comes with several advantages:
✅ No subscriptions – No need to pay for expensive API access.
✅ Privacy – Your conversations stay on your machine.
✅ Offline access – No internet connection required.
✅ Customization – You can fine-tune models or modify behavior as needed.
What You’ll Need
– A computer with a decent CPU (or better, a GPU)
– Ollama – A tool for running AI models locally
– OpenWebUI – A sleek web-based chat interface
– Gemma 3 model – A powerful open-source AI from Google
Step 1: Install Ollama
Ollama makes it easy to run AI models locally. To install it, simply:
1. Download Ollama from the official website: ollama.com
2. Install it based on your operating system:
Windows: Run the installer and follow the prompts.
Mac/Linux: Use the command:
curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh
Once installed, test it by running:
ollama list
Step 2: Download the Gemma 3 Model
To load the Gemma 3 model, simply run:
ollama pull gemma
This will download and prepare the model for use.
Step 3: Install OpenWebUI
OpenWebUI provides a clean, user-friendly interface for chatting with your local AI.
Installation (Docker Method – Recommended)
1. Install Docker if you haven’t already.
2. Run the following command to start OpenWebUI:
docker run -d --name open-webui -p 3000:3000 -v open-webui-data:/app/data ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:latest
Now, OpenWebUI will be available at http://localhost:3000.
Step 4: Connect OpenWebUI to Ollama
In OpenWebUI, navigate to Settings and set the AI Model Provider to Ollama.
Then, in the model selection, choose Gemma 3. Now, you can chat with your AI locally!
Bonus: Chat with AI Characters on Discord
If you’re interested in AI-powered roleplaying or chatbot interactions on Discord, check out AICord. It lets you chat with unique AI characters directly in Discord servers.
Learn more about AICord here: https://aicordapp.com/
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By following this guide, you now have a fully self-hosted ChatGPT alternative running on your machine, completely free and private. Enjoy chatting with AI on your own terms!