Which One Should I Use?

If your customers ask, “What app should I use with MetaioLab?”, this is the practical answer.

The short answer

If you want…	Start with…	Why
the easiest desktop app	Cherry Studio	clean UI, easy provider setup, strong all-around choice
a private team portal	Open WebUI	multi-user, admin-friendly, self-hosted web interface
a polished modern web UI	LobeChat	strong product feel and broad provider support
maximum custom endpoint control	LibreChat	explicit YAML configuration for custom endpoints
a lightweight simple web client	NextChat	quick setup and low friction
coding-first workflows	Codex, Claude Code, OpenCode	purpose-built for developer workflows

My practical recommendation

Best desktop client for most people

• Cherry Studio
• Easy to explain
• Easy to demo
• Good fit for users who want one app instead of editing config files manually

Best self-hosted chat portal

• Open WebUI
• Great when you want a browser-based team workspace
• Good for internal teams, demos, and shared access

Best when you want explicit custom-endpoint control

• LibreChat
• Especially useful for operators who are comfortable editing YAML and Docker configs

Important compatibility rule

For the widest compatibility, make sure your MetaioLab endpoint is solid on:

• GET /v1/models
• POST /v1/chat/completions
• streaming responses

Most general AI clients care more about those three things than about newer protocol variants.

Why these tools made the list

I focused on tools that, as of March 8, 2026, have clear official docs or official repo guidance for custom endpoints or OpenAI-compatible connections.

Next steps

• Read Protocol Map
• Start with Cherry Studio if you want the easiest end-user story
• Start with Open WebUI if you want a shared internal portal