LibreChat vs PrivateGPT: which one to choose in 2026?
Both are open source alternatives to ChatGPT Plus. We compare license, tech stack and features to help you decide which fits your team best.
| LibreChat | PrivateGPT | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Artificial Intelligence | Artificial Intelligence |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| GitHub stars | 22k | 55k |
| Tech stack | Node.js, React, MongoDB | Python, LlamaIndex |
| Replaces | ChatGPT Plus | ChatGPT Plus |
PrivateGPT has more GitHub stars, which usually indicates a larger community (not necessarily that it's the best option for your use case).
LibreChat
Multi-provider chat with history and plugins, an alternative to ChatGPT Plus.
Pros
- Switch AI providers without switching interface
Things to consider
- You need your own API keys for the providers you use
PrivateGPT
Ask your documents with 100% private LLMs, an alternative to ChatGPT+docs.
Pros
- Ideal for sensitive data that can't leave your network
Things to consider
- Performance depends on the local hardware available
Key features
LibreChat
- Connects OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and local models
- Multi-user with conversation history
- Plugins and built-in web search
PrivateGPT
- Q&A over your PDFs and documents
- 100% offline, no external API calls
- Own REST API to integrate it