FastChat vs Page Assist
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted local llm runners options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
FastChat
Platform for serving and evaluating large language models
VS
Page Assist
Browser extension to use local AI models on the web
| Feature | FastChat | Page Assist |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Local LLM Runners | Local LLM Runners |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 8,192 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 39,516 | ★ 8,125 |
| First released | 2023 | 2024 |
| Replaces | OpenAI API | ChatGPT |
Why pick each one
Choose FastChat if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 39.5k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Choose Page Assist if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 8.1k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is FastChat or Page Assist better?
Neither is universally better. FastChat has the larger community, while Page Assist is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are FastChat and Page Assist free and open-source?
Yes. FastChat is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Page Assist under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run FastChat and Page Assist with Docker?
FastChat: yes. Page Assist: check the project docs for container support.