Practical overview
When it fits
Use Restai when you need a platform to configure multiple AI projects and make them available to applications through a REST API, especially when RAG, model choice, project analytics or visual workflow composition matter.
Who it is for
- Developers building applications that need AI capabilities behind REST endpoints.
- Teams assembling RAG projects from documents and vector stores.
- Operators who want to run the platform locally or in a container and connect hosted or self-hosted models.
Documented uses
- Create and manage AI projects with individual model, prompt, tool and configuration settings.
- Expose AI project functionality through REST endpoints for use in other applications.
- Upload documents and build retrieval-based question-answering projects.
- Monitor project token usage, costs, latency and activity in the dashboard.
- Compose processing logic visually and call other Restai projects from a pipeline.
Requirements & limits
The repository documents installation from PyPI and Docker, as well as a hosted demo. The demo account can browse and chat but cannot create or modify projects. Local installation requires Python 3.11 or later.
- Restai is an infrastructure platform that you run or access as a service, not just a chat interface.
- Model connections span hosted providers and local-serving options; your intended provider affects configuration.
- RAG supports multiple vector stores, including ChromaDB, PGVector, Weaviate and Pinecone.
- The documented default database is SQLite; PostgreSQL and MySQL are also supported.
- Local setup includes database initialization and migrations before starting the server.
Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.
Install and start Restai from PyPI
Set up the Restai service and open its local admin interface.
Before you start
- Python 3.11 or later
- The restai-core package from PyPI
Steps
Install the package with pip install restai-core.
Run restai init to create the database and admin user.
Run restai migrate to apply database migrations.
Run restai serve and open the local admin interface at http://localhost:9000/admin.
Expected outcome
A local Restai service with its admin interface available on port 9000.
Guide limitations
- This recipe covers service setup only; it does not configure an AI project or connect a model.
- The README lists admin/admin as the default credentials and says the default password can be configured.
Sources & review
Source record details
- Source availability
- Active
- Sources checked
- 9 October 2026
- Original website title
- apocas/restai · Official homepage title · retained in its source language

