Self-hosted chat UI
How to use Open WebUI with Rapid Router
Open WebUI connects to OpenAI-compatible endpoints from its admin panel. Add Rapid Router as a connection and the whole catalog appears in the model selector for every user of your instance.
Setup
- Admin Panel → Settings → Connections.
- Under OpenAI API, add a connection: URL as below, key as your Rapid Router key. Save.
- Models load into the picker automatically; hide the ones you do not want from Settings → Models.
OpenAI API URL: https://rapidrouter.ai/api/v1
API Key: <your Rapid Router key>Field names as in Open WebUI at the time of writing; their UI moves, the three values do not. Open WebUI site.
Pick a model
The catalog lists every live model with its price per million tokens. For a coding tool, a strong model for edits and a cheap one for questions is the usual pair; the cost calculator shows what a month of your usage costs on each.
Common questions
Which model string do I put in Open WebUI?
Any id from the catalog, in the vendor/model shape, for example anthropic/claude-sonnet-5. The models page lists every live id with its price; copy it exactly.
Does Open WebUI need anything else to work with Rapid Router?
No. Rapid Router exposes the OpenAI chat completions API at https://rapidrouter.ai/api/v1, which is the shape Open WebUI already sends. Streaming, tool calling and JSON mode work where the model supports them.
How is usage from Open WebUI billed?
Per request at the provider's list price per million tokens, debited from your prepaid balance. Create a separate key for Open WebUI and the dashboard shows its spend on its own; you can cap it monthly.
Is there a free allowance to test with?
Yes. Every account gets a daily allowance of free requests on eligible models before any top-up, so the first session costs nothing.