diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/backends/BackendPresetCard.svelte b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/backends/BackendPresetCard.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..422fef84c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/backends/BackendPresetCard.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+<script lang="ts">
+	import BackendPresetIcon from './BackendPresetIcon.svelte';
+	import { Check } from '@lucide/svelte';
+	import { Badge } from '$lib/components/ui/badge';
+	import * as Card from '$lib/components/ui/card';
+	import type { BackendPreset } from '$lib/types';
+
+	interface Props {
+		preset: BackendPreset;
+		onClick?: () => void;
+		selected?: boolean;
+		dimmed?: boolean;
+		/** A backend already points at this provider. */
+		added?: boolean;
+	}
+
+	let { added = false, dimmed = false, onClick, preset, selected = false }: Props = $props();
+
+	// an added provider is a label, not an action: no hover, no selection
+	let interactive = $derived(!added && Boolean(onClick));
+</script>
+
+<Card.Root
+	class={`relative gap-3! select-none bg-muted/30 p-4 transition-all ${interactive ? 'cursor-pointer hover:bg-muted/50 hover:opacity-100' : ''} ${selected && !added ? 'bg-muted/30 ring-1 ring-primary/40' : ''} ${dimmed || added ? 'opacity-50' : ''}`}
+	onclick={interactive ? onClick : undefined}
+>
+	{#if added}
+		<Badge class="absolute top-2 right-2 gap-1 px-1.5 text-[10px]" variant="secondary">
+			<Check class="h-3 w-3" />
+			Added
+		</Badge>
+	{/if}
+
+	<div class="flex min-w-0 items-center gap-2">
+		<BackendPresetIcon class="h-5 w-5" {preset} />
+
+		<h4 class="min-w-0 flex-1 truncate font-medium">{preset.name}</h4>
+	</div>
+
+	<p class="text-xs text-muted-foreground">{preset.description}</p>
+</Card.Root>
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/backends/DialogBackendForm.svelte b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/backends/DialogBackendForm.svelte
index 574a28c192..8b428bc3b8 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/backends/DialogBackendForm.svelte
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/backends/DialogBackendForm.svelte
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <script lang="ts">
 	import BackendForm from './BackendForm.svelte';
-	import BackendPresetIcon from './BackendPresetIcon.svelte';
+	import BackendPresetCard from './BackendPresetCard.svelte';
 	import { CheckCircle2, Loader2, XCircle } from '@lucide/svelte';
 	import { Button } from '$lib/components/ui/button';
 	import * as Dialog from '$lib/components/ui/dialog';
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 	import type { BackendTestResult } from '$lib/services/backends.service';
 	import { backendsStore } from '$lib/stores';
 	import type { Backend, BackendPreset } from '$lib/types';
-	import { uuid } from '$lib/utils';
+	import { findBackendPreset, uuid } from '$lib/utils';
 
 	interface Props {
 		backend?: Backend | null;
@@ -21,10 +21,18 @@
 	let { backend = null, onOpenChange, onSaved, open = $bindable(false) }: Props = $props();
 
 	let draft = $state<Backend>(createBackend());
-	let selectedPresetId = $state<string | null>(null);
 	let testResult = $state<BackendTestResult | null>(null);
 	let testing = $state(false);
 
+	// the card follows the URL, so editing any field deselects it
+	let selectedPresetId = $derived(findBackendPreset(draft.baseUrl)?.id ?? null);
+	// presets a configured backend already points at
+	let addedPresetIds = $derived(
+		backendsStore.external
+			.map((backend) => findBackendPreset(backend.baseUrl)?.id)
+			.filter((id) => id !== undefined)
+	);
+
 	let isEdit = $derived(backend !== null);
 	let urlError = $derived.by(() => {
 		const url = draft.baseUrl.trim();
@@ -46,7 +54,6 @@
 		if (!open) return;
 
 		draft = backend ? { ...backend } : createBackend();
-		selectedPresetId = null;
 		testResult = null;
 		testing = false;
 	});
@@ -62,14 +69,13 @@
 	}
 
 	function applyPreset(preset: BackendPreset) {
-		selectedPresetId = preset.id;
 		draft = {
 			...draft,
 			baseUrl: preset.baseUrl,
 			chatPath: preset.chatPath,
 			compat: preset.compat,
 			modelsPath: preset.modelsPath,
-			name: preset.id === 'custom' ? '' : preset.name,
+			name: preset.name,
 			protocol: preset.protocol
 		};
 		testResult = null;
@@ -136,19 +142,20 @@
 		</Dialog.Header>
 
 		{#if !isEdit}
-			<div class="grid grid-cols-2 gap-2 pt-2 sm:grid-cols-3">
-				{#each BACKEND_PRESETS as preset (preset.id)}
-					<Button
-						class="justify-start"
-						onclick={() => applyPreset(preset)}
-						size="sm"
-						variant={selectedPresetId === preset.id ? 'secondary' : 'outline'}
-					>
-						<BackendPresetIcon class="h-4 w-4" {preset} />
+			<div class="space-y-3 pt-2">
+				<h3 class="text-sm font-medium">Recommended providers</h3>
 
-						{preset.name}
-					</Button>
-				{/each}
+				<div class="grid grid-cols-1 gap-3 sm:grid-cols-2">
+					{#each BACKEND_PRESETS as preset (preset.id)}
+						<BackendPresetCard
+							added={addedPresetIds.includes(preset.id)}
+							dimmed={Boolean(selectedPresetId) && selectedPresetId !== preset.id}
+							onClick={() => applyPreset(preset)}
+							{preset}
+							selected={selectedPresetId === preset.id}
+						/>
+					{/each}
+				</div>
 			</div>
 		{/if}
 
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/backends/index.ts b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/backends/index.ts
index c161149f81..162dc2d6fd 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/backends/index.ts
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/backends/index.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 export { default as BackendCard } from './BackendCard.svelte';
 export { default as BackendForm } from './BackendForm.svelte';
+export { default as BackendPresetCard } from './BackendPresetCard.svelte';
 export { default as BackendPresetIcon } from './BackendPresetIcon.svelte';
 export { default as DialogBackendForm } from './DialogBackendForm.svelte';
 export { default as SettingsBackends } from './SettingsBackends.svelte';
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/constants/backend.constants.ts b/tools/ui/src/lib/constants/backend.constants.ts
index 59f8023899..e88ff2dadd 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/constants/backend.constants.ts
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/constants/backend.constants.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ export const BACKEND_COMPAT: Record<BackendProtocol, BackendCompat> = {
 export const BACKEND_PRESETS: readonly BackendPreset[] = [
 	{
 		baseUrl: 'https://router.huggingface.co',
+		description: 'Open models from the Hub, served by inference providers.',
 		iconUrl: '/backend-presets/huggingface.svg',
 		id: 'huggingface',
 		name: 'Hugging Face',
@@ -70,58 +71,12 @@ export const BACKEND_PRESETS: readonly BackendPreset[] = [
 	},
 	{
 		baseUrl: 'https://openrouter.ai/api',
+		description: 'Models from many providers behind a single API.',
 		// v2 brand: purple on light, lime on dark
 		iconUrlDark: '/backend-presets/openrouter-dark.svg',
 		iconUrlLight: '/backend-presets/openrouter-light.svg',
 		id: 'openrouter',
 		name: 'OpenRouter',
 		protocol: 'openai'
-	},
-	{
-		baseUrl: 'https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai',
-		chatPath: '/chat/completions',
-		iconUrl: '/backend-presets/google.svg',
-		id: 'google',
-		modelsPath: '/models',
-		name: 'Google',
-		protocol: 'openai'
-	},
-	{
-		baseUrl: 'https://api.z.ai/api/paas/v4',
-		chatPath: '/chat/completions',
-		iconUrl: '/backend-presets/zai.png',
-		id: 'zai',
-		modelsPath: '/models',
-		name: 'Z.ai',
-		protocol: 'openai'
-	},
-	{
-		baseUrl: 'https://api.deepseek.com',
-		iconUrl: '/backend-presets/deepseek.svg',
-		id: 'deepseek',
-		name: 'DeepSeek',
-		protocol: 'openai'
-	},
-	{
-		baseUrl: 'https://api.moonshot.ai',
-		iconUrl: '/backend-presets/kimi.png',
-		id: 'kimi',
-		name: 'Kimi',
-		protocol: 'openai'
-	},
-	{
-		baseUrl: 'https://dashscope-intl.aliyuncs.com/compatible-mode/v1',
-		chatPath: '/chat/completions',
-		iconUrl: '/backend-presets/qwen.png',
-		id: 'qwen',
-		modelsPath: '/models',
-		name: 'Qwen',
-		protocol: 'openai'
-	},
-	{
-		baseUrl: '',
-		id: 'custom',
-		name: 'Custom',
-		protocol: 'openai'
 	}
 ];
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/types/backend.d.ts b/tools/ui/src/lib/types/backend.d.ts
index 9ded9dc716..728d75a242 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/types/backend.d.ts
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/types/backend.d.ts
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ export interface BackendPreset {
 	/** Optional help text shown under the API key field. */
 	apiKeyHelp?: string;
 	baseUrl: string;
+	/** One line describing the endpoint, shown on the preset card. */
+	description?: string;
 	chatPath?: string;
 	/** Brand mark used in both themes, for logos that carry their own background. */
 	iconUrl?: string;