Build vs buy
DIY Ollama + Open WebUI works. The problem is operations.
OwnLLM provides what internal tinkering usually misses: pairing, SSO, audit logs, updates, outbound tunnel, OpenAI-compatible API, and support. Without turning a senior developer into an AI platform admin.
Book an AI cost auditTypical DIY
2-4 wks
To assemble networking, auth, models, logs, support, and internal docs.
Target activation
<15m
Median time from payment and pairing to first message.
Surface v1
1 machine
One simple appliance per tenant, with no cluster or Kubernetes.
What an SMB does not want to maintain itself
Tunnel and DNS
No port forwarding, certificates, dynamic DNS, or VPN setup to explain to teams.
SSO and employee offboarding
The real risk is not the model. It is a former employee keeping access.
Stable API for developers
One OpenAI-compatible URL, revocable keys, and per-model scopes.
DIY vs OwnLLM
Raw Ollama
Simple, free, excellent for a solo developer.
No multi-user layer, no SSO, no centralized audit.
Adds the team, auth, and operations layer.
Open WebUI
Mature chat interface and active community.
Separate auth and database, tenant integration to maintain.
Unified control plane with billing and onboarding.
LiteLLM
Powerful gateway for many providers.
Python, deployment, and observability to operate.
Embedded minimal gateway focused on the core surface.
Internal Docker stack
Full control.
Long-tail support, updates, runbooks, and on-call load.
Supported, signed, updated, and documented product.
Buying OwnLLM means buying your team's time back — starting day one.
Median time from payment to first message is under 15 minutes. The hardware stays with you. OwnLLM's value is turning that hardware into a reliable, governed service — without making a developer the AI platform admin.