OpenChat

OpenChat is a free, open-source AI chat application that provides a seamless interface for multiple language models in one place.

✨ Features

🤖 AI & Models

• 30+ AI Models - Access OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, Mistral, DeepSeek, xAI, and Moonshot models
• Multi-modal Support - Text, images, and reasoning across all supported models
• Image Generation - Create high-quality images with GPT Image 1, Imagen 4, and Flux Schnell
• Reasoning Models - View AI thinking process with o3, Claude 4, Gemini Thinking, and DeepSeek R1
• Model Switching - Seamlessly switch between models within conversations
• Web Search Integration - Real-time internet search using Exa, Tavily, and Brave APIs

💬 Chat Management

• Smart Organization - Automatic grouping by Today, Yesterday, Last 7 Days, etc.
• Pinned Chats - Keep important conversations at the top
• Chat Branching - Create alternative conversation paths from any assistant message
• Advanced Search - Full-text search across chat history with content snippets
• Bulk Operations - Export, delete, or manage multiple chats at once
• Data Portability - Export/import chat history with full data control

🎨 Interface & Experience

• Responsive Design - Beautiful interface that works on desktop and mobile
• Advanced Sidebar - Collapsible chat sidebar with search, pinning, and organization
• Theme System - Beautiful light and dark modes with smooth transitions
• Keyboard Shortcuts - Quick access with ⌘+K (search), ⌘+Shift+O (new chat), ⌘+B (toggle sidebar)
• Real-time Streaming - Instant message streaming for immediate responses
• Mobile Optimized - Drawer-based navigation for seamless mobile experience

⚙️ Customization & Settings

• User Personalization - Set name, occupation, and personality traits for AI interactions
• Comprehensive Settings - Dedicated pages for account, customization, history, and attachments
• Message Usage Tracking - Clear visibility into daily/monthly limits and premium credits
• API Key Management - Secure encryption and management of user-provided API keys
• Prompt Suggestions - Contextual prompt ideas to inspire conversations

💳 Premium Features

• Payments & Subscriptions - Integrated billing with Polar for premium model access
• Premium Credits - Access to advanced models like Claude 4 Sonnet, o3 and more

🤖 Available Models

OpenChat supports 30+ AI models across multiple providers:

💬 Text & Chat Models

• OpenAI: GPT-4o, GPT-4o Mini, o4 Mini, o3, o3 Pro, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 Mini, GPT-4.1 Nano, GPT-4.5
• Anthropic: Claude 4 Sonnet, Claude 4 Opus, Claude 3.7 Sonnet, Claude 3.5 Sonnet (with reasoning variants)
• Google: Gemini 2.5 Pro, Gemini 2.5 Flash, Gemini 2.0 Flash series (with thinking variants)
• Meta: Llama 4 Maverick, Llama 4 Scout
• Mistral: Pixtral Large, Mistral Large
• DeepSeek: DeepSeek V3, DeepSeek R1
• xAI: Grok 3, Grok 3 Mini
• Moonshot: Kimi K2

🎨 Image Generation

• OpenAI: GPT Image 1
• Google: Imagen 4, Imagen 4 Ultra
• Fal: Flux Schnell

🛠️ Built with

• Next.js - React framework for the frontend
• prompt-kit - Beautiful AI components and primitives
• shadcn/ui - Modern component library for UI
• motion-primitives - Smooth animations and transitions
• Vercel AI SDK - Model integration and streaming
• Convex - Real-time backend, authentication, and database
• Polar - Payments and subscriptions
• Phosphor Icons - Beautiful icon system
• Tailwind CSS - Utility-first CSS framework

🗺️ Roadmap

• Projects & Workspaces - Organize your chats into projects and workspaces
• MCP integration - Model Context Protocol support for enhanced AI capabilities
• Tasks - Tasks using agents and deliver via email.

🚀 Recent Updates

• Image Generation - Create images with GPT Image 1, Imagen 4, and Flux Schnell
• Advanced Search - Full-text search across chat history with content snippets
• Payments Integration - Polar-powered subscriptions for premium model access
• Enhanced Settings Panel - Comprehensive settings with account management and API key encryption
• Chat Branching - Create alternative conversation paths from any assistant message
• Reasoning Models - Visual thinking process for o3, Claude 4 Opus, and DeepSeek R1
• Mobile Optimization - Improved mobile experience with drawer-based navigation

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+ or Bun (recommended)
• Git
• A Convex account (free tier available)
• API keys for the AI models you want to use

1. Clone and Install

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/ajanraj/OpenChat.git
cd OpenChat

# Install dependencies (using Bun - recommended)
bun install

2. Set up Convex Backend

OpenChat uses Convex for real-time backend, authentication, and database management.

# Install Convex CLI globally
bun add -g convex

# Login to Convex (creates account if needed)
bunx convex login

# Set up a new Convex project (this creates .env.local with Convex URLs)
bunx convex dev --once

This will:

• Create a new Convex project in your dashboard
• Generate a convex/ directory with your schema
• Create a .env.local file with your Convex deployment URLs

3. Configure Environment Variables

Important: Convex creates .env.local with deployment URLs. Don't overwrite it!

Instead, copy the example file to see what other variables you need:

# View the example to see what API keys you need
cat .env.example

# Add the additional variables to your existing .env.local
# (Don't copy over - this would delete your Convex URLs!)

Manually add these to your existing .env.local file:

• AI model API keys (OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, xAI, etc.)
• Analytics keys (PostHog, Umami)
• Search provider keys (Exa)
• Other configuration from .env.example

4. Set up Authentication

OpenChat uses Convex Auth for authentication with Google OAuth.

1. Initialize Convex Auth:

   # Initialize Convex Auth setup
   bunx @convex-dev/auth

2. Set up Google OAuth:

   • Follow the Google OAuth Setup Guide
   • Set your Google OAuth credentials in Convex:

   # Set Google OAuth credentials
   bunx convex env set AUTH_GOOGLE_ID your-google-client-id
   bunx convex env set AUTH_GOOGLE_SECRET your-google-client-secret

3. Set Required Environment Variables:

   # Generate and set API key encryption secret in Convex (REQUIRED)
   bunx convex env set API_KEY_SECRET $(openssl rand -hex 64)
   
   # Set site URL for development
   bunx convex env set SITE_URL http://localhost:3000

4. Optional: Set up Polar Payments:

   # Set Polar environment variables (optional)
   bunx convex env set POLAR_ORGANIZATION_TOKEN your-polar-organization-token
   bunx convex env set POLAR_PREMIUM_PRODUCT_ID your-product-id
   bunx convex env set POLAR_WEBHOOK_SECRET your-polar-webhook-secret

5. Reference: For detailed setup instructions, see:

   • Convex Auth Setup Guide
   • Google OAuth Configuration
   • Polar Component Documentation

5. Deploy Convex Functions

Deploy your Convex schema and functions:

# Deploy to Convex (this pushes your functions and schema)
bunx convex deploy

# Or for development with hot reload
bunx convex dev

6. Run the Development Server

# Start the Next.js development server
bun dev

Visit http://localhost:3000 to see OpenChat running locally!

7. Production Deployment

For production deployment:

1. Deploy Convex:

   bunx convex deploy --prod

2. Deploy Frontend (Vercel recommended):

   # Install Vercel CLI
   bun add -g vercel
   
   # Deploy to Vercel
   vercel --prod

3. Update Environment Variables:

   • Add your production API keys to Vercel
   • Update SITE_URL in Convex production dashboard to your production URL

Troubleshooting

Convex Connection Issues:

• Ensure you're logged into Convex: bunx convex login
• Check your deployment URL in .env.local
• Run bunx convex dev to sync functions

Authentication Issues:

• Verify OAuth credentials in Convex dashboard
• Check SITE_URL matches your development/production URL
• Ensure Convex Auth is properly configured

API Key Issues:

• Verify API keys are correctly set in .env.local
• Check API key permissions and quotas

Need Help?

• Check the Convex Documentation
• Review the Convex Auth Setup Guide
• See Google OAuth Configuration for authentication
• Get an Exa API key for web search functionality
• Set up Polar payments for premium features
• Open an issue in this repository

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! OpenChat is built with modern web technologies and follows best practices for maintainability and performance.

Setup for Contributors

1. Fork the repository
2. Follow the Getting Started guide above to set up your development environment
3. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)

Development Guidelines

• Follow the existing code style and patterns
• Add tests for new features when applicable
• Update documentation for user-facing changes
• Ensure responsive design works across devices
• Test keyboard shortcuts and accessibility features

Submitting Changes

1. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
2. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
3. Open a Pull Request with a clear description of changes

Areas I'd Love Help With

• Stream resuming using Redis
• Performance optimizations

⚠️ Notes

Current Status: Beta Release - OpenChat is actively developed with regular feature updates and improvements.

Compatibility: This codebase represents a significant evolution from earlier versions, with substantial architectural improvements and new features added throughout 2025.

Performance: Built for scale with real-time features, efficient data management, and optimized for both desktop and mobile experiences.

Privacy: All data is processed securely with user control over exports, imports, and data management.

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This code is a heavily modified version of work by Julien Thibeaut, originally licensed under the Apache License 2.0. All significant changes, improvements, and new features were implemented by Ajan Raj in 2025.