Text Generation WebUI vs vLLM in 2025: Which AI Tool Should You Choose?

Philip Moses
Nov 20
3 min read

Artificial intelligence tools are getting faster, smarter, and easier to use in 2025. Whether you're a developer, hobbyist, or small business owner, choosing the right tool to run large language models (LLMs) is important. Two of the most popular options right now are Text Generation WebUI and vLLM.

In this blog, we’ll break down the key differences between them in plain English. You’ll learn what each one does, how easy they are to use, how fast they are, and which one might be best for your needs.

What Is Text Generation WebUI?

Text Generation WebUI is a free, open-source app that lets you chat with AI models on your own computer. It runs in your web browser and has a clean, simple interface. You don’t need to know how to code to use it.

You can pick from many different AI models (like LLaMA, GPT-J, Pythia, and more), and even run it offline. It’s popular among people who want to experiment with AI, write stories, get help with coding, or just have fun chatting with a language model.

What Is vLLM?

vLLM is a high-performance backend engine for running large language models. It doesn’t have a built-in chat interface. Instead, developers use it behind the scenes to power AI apps and chatbots. It’s extremely fast and efficient, making it a top choice for serving LLMs at scale.

If you're building an app or service that needs to serve lots of users or handle big AI models with low delay, vLLM is a powerful option. Ease of Use

Text Generation WebUI is beginner-friendly. You can install it with just a few clicks and use it through your browser.
vLLM is made for developers. You’ll need to know Python and use the command line to set it up.

Performance

Text Generation WebUI works great on a personal computer, especially for one user.
vLLM is much faster and better for serving many users at once. It uses smart technology to manage memory and run models more efficiently.

User Interface

WebUI gives you a nice-looking chat interface with themes, code formatting, and more.
vLLM has no built-in interface. You send and receive data through code or APIs.

Flexibility

WebUI supports many models and lets you switch between them easily.
vLLM also supports a wide range of models and formats, including the latest ones like Mixtral and LLaVA.

Best Use Cases

Use Text Generation WebUI if you want to:

Chat with AI models on your own computer
Write stories or code with AI help
Explore different models without coding

Use vLLM if you want to:

Build and scale AI apps or chatbots
Run AI models in the cloud or on powerful servers
Serve lots of users at once with low response time

What’s New in 2025?

Text Generation WebUI has added better GPU support, more model options, and new chat features.
vLLM launched v1 in early 2025 with a major speed boost and added support for multi-modal models (text + image).
vLLM is now an official PyTorch Foundation project, showing its importance in the AI space.

Final Thoughts

If you want an easy way to talk to AI on your own computer, Text Generation WebUI is a great choice. If you need to build a fast, scalable AI service, vLLM is the better tool.

Both are excellent in 2025, and your choice depends on your goals. For personal use, go with WebUI. For professional, high-performance AI systems, go with vLLM.