Looking for a better AI chat?

Not written by AI

I just made the best and most lightweight AI chat I've used. Check it out at github.com/bajahaw/ai-ui.

I had been looking for a while and kept getting disappointed with the existing options. Maybe my bar was a bit high, or maybe no such perfect software exists. So I decided to make my own.

I had been trying to self-host my own chat for a long time. After trying OpenWebUI and crashing my server multiple times with OOM errors, I decided to move to something more efficient. I scanned GitHub for projects that fit my poor server's needs, but honestly, most good-looking chats are built with Node.js and friends, which are RAM hogs when you're self-hosting on a tight budget.

My most wanted things were as follows:

I had been jealous of the t3.chat UI for a while, and of claude.ai for how useful and extensible it is with MCPs and skills. I decided to combine the best of both worlds, in tiny, fast-bundled images, and self-host it for myself. I also decided I would learn Go from scratch specifically for this job.

After three months of development and experimenting with Go, I felt the app was solid enough to use exclusively and leave ChatGPT for good. Now, after more than a year, I am quite happy with the current state, and confident enough to share it with the world.

So, if you're looking for a better AI chat, check it out at github.com/bajahaw/ai-ui.

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