Chat-Web: A Self-Hosted ChatGPT-Like Chat Application, Lightweight PHP+SQLite Solution

Chat-Web is a self-hosted ChatGPT-style chat application developed and maintained by HuayongHu. Built on PHP+SQLite, it supports the NVIDIA Chat Completions API. Core features include user login, conversation history management, model switching, streaming inference, Markdown/KaTeX rendering, etc. It aims to address the pain point of complex deployment in existing self-hosted solutions and provide an easy-to-use lightweight option for individuals or small teams.

The popularity of ChatGPT has driven demand for conversational AI, but commercial APIs have issues such as costs increasing with usage, inability to fully control data privacy, and reliance on third-party service availability. Self-hosted solutions offer advantages like cost control, privacy protection, customization, and high availability, but existing open-source solutions often require complex deployment processes (e.g., Docker, Python environment), which have high barriers and limit use by non-professional users.

Chat-Web chooses PHP+SQLite as its technology stack for the following reasons: 1. Simple deployment—almost all web servers support PHP, no complex environment configuration needed; 2. Low resource consumption—SQLite is an embedded database with no independent process required, and backup/migration only needs a single file; 3. Low maintenance cost—mature and stable technology, suitable for non-professional users.

Chat-Web's core features include: ChatGPT-like interface, multi-user login and conversation isolation, conversation history management, model switching, streaming output (real-time display of generated content), Markdown/KaTeX rendering, code copying, and text file upload. The project supports the NVIDIA Chat Completions API, allowing users to leverage its high-performance inference services while maintaining data control; it can also be adapted to services compatible with the OpenAI API format, such as OpenAI and Anthropic.

Chat-Web is easy to deploy: shared hosting users can upload files via FTP, and VPS users can use it by configuring a standard web environment. Applicable scenarios include: personal AI assistant (private server), small team collaboration (shared instance), educational environment (controlled access), and offline environment (intranet deployment).

Compared to similar projects like LibreChat and ChatGPT-Next-Web, Chat-Web is more lightweight (PHP+SQLite vs Node.js+MongoDB), easier to deploy (single file vs containerized), and has a more traditional architecture. Limitations include: relatively simple features (no plugins/advanced RAG), limited performance of PHP in high-concurrency scenarios, and insufficient scalability of SQLite (needs migration to MySQL/PostgreSQL for large user volumes).

Chat-Web embodies the philosophy of "returning to simplicity". Amid the trend of AI applications becoming more complex, it provides a stable and easy-to-deploy self-hosted solution. For individuals or small teams looking to quickly set up a self-hosted AI chat service, Chat-Web is a choice worth considering.