An r/SillyTavernAI thread set up Open WebUI + OpenRouter for a non-technical user as a Claude alternative. This walks the setup including OpenRouter free models, web search via Scavio HTTP tool, and the gotchas.
Prerequisites
- A small VPS or local machine (8GB RAM minimum)
- Open WebUI (self-host)
- OpenRouter account (free, no card)
- Scavio API key for web search
Walkthrough
Step 1: Install Open WebUI
Docker is the easiest path.
Bash
docker run -d -p 3000:8080 -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --name open-webui ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:mainStep 2: Sign up at openrouter.ai (no credit card required for free models)
Get an API key.
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// openrouter.ai → Settings → Keys → Create KeyStep 3: Connect OpenRouter in Open WebUI
OpenAI-compatible endpoint.
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// Settings → Connections → OpenAI API
// Base URL: https://openrouter.ai/api/v1
// API Key: <openrouter-key>
// Prefix: openrouterStep 4: Pick free models (filter for ':free' suffix)
Llama 3.3 70B, Nemotron, GPT-OSS 120B.
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// In Open WebUI's model picker: filter ':free'.
// Free model rate limits: ~20 req/min, ~200 req/day per OpenRouter docs.Step 5: Add Scavio as an HTTP tool for web search
Open WebUI supports custom tools.
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// Tools → New Tool
// Action: HTTP POST
// URL: https://api.scavio.dev/api/v1/search
// Headers: x-api-key: <scavio-key>
// Body schema: { query: string }
// Description: 'Search the web for current info across Google, Reddit, YouTube.'Step 6: Test the full flow
Free model + web search + chat UI.
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// 'Use scavio_search to find recent news about X.'
// Watch the trace; the free model calls the tool, returns grounded answer.Python Example
Python
# Per-month: free model + Scavio $30/mo + small VPS $5/mo = under $40/mo.JavaScript Example
JavaScript
// Open WebUI handles the integration.Expected Output
JSON
Open WebUI on a small VPS, OpenRouter free models in the picker, Scavio HTTP tool for web search. Non-technical user gets a Claude-like UX without paying Claude Pro per seat.