NextChat

What it is for

NextChat is a self-hosted ChatGPT-style UI with masks: the official README still (see the cover: Pick a Mask, Chat with the Soul behind the Mask, mask grid, plus a dark composer generating “the general formula for attention”) is the product. Use it when the job is run a lightweight web chat with presets, not when you want a full agent studio.

The software is MIT. Self-host is $0. You bring a model key.

What makes it unique: the cover is NextChat’s own mask picker + composer — not a logo tile.

Key features

• Mask picker — “Pick a Mask / Chat with the Soul behind the Mask” (cover).
• Composer — dark send box with a streamed math reply on the official still.
• Settings / discovery — extra official README shots.
• Self-host / Vercel-style deploy — MIT web app; you add an API key.
• Cloud seat — the product is the UI; a hosted seat is not sold on the README.

Who it's for

Best fit: people who will deploy a small Next.js chat and already have an OpenAI-compatible key.

Poor fit: people who want a batteries-included Docker shell (LibreChat, Open WebUI).

Pricing

Verified 2026-10-21 (Asia/Shanghai) from github.com/ChatGPTNextWeb/NextChat (MIT).

• Self-host / web UI — $0. MIT. You bring the key.
• Tokens — you pay the model vendor. No NextChat Pro card on the README.
• Hosted SKU — not on the pages we fetched. Do not invent one.

Limitations / costs

• $0 is the UI, not GPT. A long attention-math thread still bills the vendor.
• You deploy it. The mask grid is not a hosted workspace.
• Not an agent canvas. For workflows, see Dify.
• No printed Cloud card.

Alternatives

• LibreChat — MIT ChatGPT-style shell with projects and agents.
• Open WebUI — self-hosted composer for Ollama / OpenAI-compatible APIs.
• ChatGPT — hosted assistant; Plus $20/month on Help.

Official tutorial

Deploy with Vercel walks through adding a key, setting env vars, and deploying the NextChat UI.

Website

https://nextchat.club

Repository

https://github.com/ChatGPTNextWeb/NextChat

Source

Catalog row curated for AI Tools Nav. Cover is NextChat’s official README cover.png (mask picker + composer), not a logo. License MIT. Written tutorial: Deploy with Vercel.

Last verified

2026-10-21 (Asia/Shanghai) editorial check. Software is MIT $0. No Cloud dollar on the README.