Chatbox vs Kohya's GUI
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted ai image generation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Chatbox
Desktop and web client for many AI models
VS
Kohya's GUI
Web interface for training Stable Diffusion models
| Feature | Chatbox | Kohya's GUI |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI Image Generation | AI Image Generation |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 16,384 MB |
| Deployment | binary, docker | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 41,366 | ★ 12,527 |
| First released | 2023 | 2022 |
| Replaces | ChatGPT | Leonardo.ai training |
Why pick each one
Choose Chatbox if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 41.4k GitHub stars
Choose Kohya's GUI if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Mature project with 12.5k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is Chatbox or Kohya's GUI better?
Chatbox is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Kohya's GUI if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Chatbox and Kohya's GUI free and open-source?
Yes. Chatbox is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Kohya's GUI under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Chatbox and Kohya's GUI with Docker?
Chatbox: yes. Kohya's GUI: check the project docs for container support.