Dify vs RAGFlow
Short answer
Dify: Visual platform for building LLM apps, RAG chatbots, agents and workflows. RAGFlow: RAG engine with deep document parsing (OCR, layout and tables) and cited answers. They sit in different categories (AI app & agent builders and Knowledge base & RAG) but overlap: All of them combine a document knowledge base (RAG) with a visual builder for Q&A, agent or workflow apps.
Choose Dify if you want: cheaper to host (from €19.99/mo vs €69.99/mo) and larger community (159k vs 92.6k GitHub stars).
Choose RAGFlow if you want: fewer license conditions (Permissive vs Custom / conditional).
Last updated · computed from each project's official docs and live GitHub data · sources
Dify vs RAGFlow side by side
| Dify | RAGFlow | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI app & agent builders | Knowledge base & RAG |
| What it is | Visual platform for building LLM apps, RAG chatbots, agents and workflows. | RAG engine with deep document parsing (OCR, layout and tables) and cited answers. |
| License | Dify Open Source License (modified Apache-2.0) | Apache-2.0 |
| License type | Custom / conditional | Permissive |
| License conditions | Commercial use is allowed, including as a backend for your own apps. Extra conditions: you may not run a multi-tenant service (one tenant = one workspace) without written permission, and you may not remove or modify the Dify logo or copyright in the frontend. | Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| GitHub stars | 159k | 92.6k |
| Last commit | Oct 22, 2026 | Oct 22, 2026 |
| Latest release | 1.17.1 | v1.0.0-rc2 |
| Minimum hardware | 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM | Not published |
| Recommended hardware | Not published | 4 vCPU · 16 GB RAM · 50 GB disk |
| RAM measured by us | Not tested yet | Not tested yet |
| GPU | Not required / not stated | Not required / not stated |
| Est. server cost | from €19.99/mo | from €69.99/mo |
| Deploy method | Docker Compose | Docker Compose |
| Known gotchas | 2 listed | 2 listed |
| Telemetry | On by default | Not documented |
| Calls home by default | Yes, by default | Not documented |
| SSO (OIDC / SAML / LDAP) | Paid / enterprise only | Free (OIDC free) |
| Audit log | Not documented | Not documented |
| RBAC | Basic free, more in paid plan | Basic free, more in paid plan |
| Details | Full Dify guide → | Full RAGFlow guide → |
Key differences
- Category: Dify: AI app & agent builders. RAGFlow: Knowledge base & RAG.
- License: Dify: Dify Open Source License (modified Apache-2.0) (Custom / conditional). RAGFlow: Apache-2.0 (Permissive).
- Official hardware: Dify: minimum 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM. RAGFlow: recommended 4 vCPU · 16 GB RAM · 50 GB disk (no separate minimum published).
- Est. server cost: Dify: from €19.99/mo. RAGFlow: from €69.99/mo.
- GitHub stars: Dify: 159k. RAGFlow: 92.6k.
- Latest release: Dify: 1.17.1 (Sep 10, 2026). RAGFlow: v1.0.0-rc2 (Oct 16, 2026).
Same for both: GPU: not required or not stated; Deploy: Docker Compose · multi-container stack; Status: Active; Last commit: Oct 22, 2026.
Dify vs RAGFlow: FAQ
Dify or RAGFlow: which should a small business choose?
Choose Dify if you want: cheaper to host (from €19.99/mo vs €69.99/mo) and larger community (159k vs 92.6k GitHub stars). Choose RAGFlow if you want: fewer license conditions (Permissive vs Custom / conditional).
Which is cheaper to self-host, Dify or RAGFlow?
Dify: cheaper to host (from €19.99/mo vs €69.99/mo).
How much hardware do Dify and RAGFlow need?
Dify: minimum 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM. RAGFlow: recommended 4 vCPU · 16 GB RAM · 50 GB disk (no separate minimum published).
What is the license difference between Dify and RAGFlow?
Dify: Dify Open Source License (modified Apache-2.0) (Custom / conditional). Commercial use is allowed, including as a backend for your own apps. Extra conditions: you may not run a multi-tenant service (one tenant = one workspace) without written permission, and you may not remove or modify the Dify logo or copyright in the frontend. RAGFlow: Apache-2.0 (Permissive). Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Is Dify or RAGFlow more actively maintained?
Dify: Active, last commit Oct 22, 2026. RAGFlow: Active, last commit Oct 22, 2026. GitHub data refreshed Oct 22, 2026.
Which is easier to deploy, Dify or RAGFlow?
Dify installs via Docker Compose (multi-container stack); RAGFlow via Docker Compose (multi-container stack). Dify lists 2 known gotchas and RAGFlow lists 2; see each app page.
Related
- Dify self-hosting guide · RAGFlow self-hosting guide
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- FastGPT vs RAGFlow
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- Add a third app in the interactive comparison
Sources
- Dify GitHub repository: github.com/langgenius/dify
- Dify documentation, Dify hardware requirements: docs.dify.ai/en/self-host/deploy/quick-start/docker-compose
- Dify license: github.com/langgenius/dify/blob/main/LICENSE
- Dify deploy instructions: github.com/langgenius/dify#quick-start
- RAGFlow GitHub repository: github.com/infiniflow/ragflow
- RAGFlow documentation, RAGFlow hardware requirements, RAGFlow deploy instructions: github.com/infiniflow/ragflow#-get-started
- RAGFlow license: github.com/infiniflow/ragflow/blob/main/LICENSE
- Hetzner Cloud pricing used for cost estimates (read 2026-10-22): www.hetzner.com/cloud/regular-performance
- GitHub REST API (stars, commits, releases): docs.github.com/en/rest
Every value is generated from the same verified data as the app pages. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.