TextGen Becomes a Native Desktop App: Open-Source LM Studio Alternative Evolves

From Web UI to Desktop App

TextGen — formerly known as text-generation-webui, developed by the community favorite oobabooga — has completed a significant transformation. The project, started in December 2022 before LLaMA and llama.cpp even existed, has evolved from a web UI into a no-install native desktop application for Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Same Architecture as LM Studio, Fully Open Source

The new TextGen uses a minimal, elegant Electron integration — the same underlying approach as LM Studio, which is also a web UI running over Electron. The critical difference: TextGen is entirely open source.

The developer notes: "In the last two months, the project has evolved from a web UI to a no-install desktop app for Windows, Linux, and macOS with a polished UI."

Why It Matters

LM Studio has dominated the user-friendly local LLM space with its polished closed-source interface. TextGen now challenges that position by offering comparable usability while keeping the codebase open — an important consideration for users who need customization, plugin support, or transparency about what's running on their hardware.

The r/LocalLLaMA post gathered 637 upvotes, reflecting genuine excitement from a community that values both accessibility and openness.