MaxKB vs RAGFlow
Short answer
MaxKB: Enterprise knowledge-base and agent platform with RAG and workflows. RAGFlow: RAG engine with deep document parsing (OCR, layout and tables) and cited answers. Both are in our Knowledge base & RAG category.
Choose MaxKB if you want: cheaper to host (from €35.99/mo vs €69.99/mo) and simpler deploy (one container vs a multi-container stack).
Choose RAGFlow if you want: fewer license conditions (Permissive vs Copyleft (GPL)) and larger community (92.6k vs 23.0k GitHub stars).
Last updated · computed from each project's official docs and live GitHub data · sources
MaxKB vs RAGFlow side by side
| MaxKB | RAGFlow | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Knowledge base & RAG | Knowledge base & RAG |
| What it is | Enterprise knowledge-base and agent platform with RAG and workflows. | RAG engine with deep document parsing (OCR, layout and tables) and cited answers. |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| License type | Copyleft (GPL) | Permissive |
| License conditions | Free to use internally and commercially. If you distribute a modified version, you must release its source under GPL-3.0. | Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| GitHub stars | 23.0k | 92.6k |
| Last commit | Oct 21, 2026 | Oct 22, 2026 |
| Latest release | v2.10.8-lts | v1.0.0-rc2 |
| Minimum hardware | 4 vCPU · 8 GB RAM · 100 GB disk | 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 €35.99/mo | from €69.99/mo |
| Deploy method | Docker | Docker Compose |
| Known gotchas | 2 listed | 2 listed |
| Telemetry | Not documented | Not documented |
| Calls home by default | Not documented | Not documented |
| SSO (OIDC / SAML / LDAP) | Paid / enterprise only (OIDC paid · SAML paid · LDAP paid) | Free (OIDC free) |
| Audit log | Paid / enterprise only | Not documented |
| RBAC | Paid / enterprise only | Basic free, more in paid plan |
| Details | Full MaxKB guide → | Full RAGFlow guide → |
Key differences
- License: MaxKB: GPL-3.0 (Copyleft (GPL)). RAGFlow: Apache-2.0 (Permissive).
- Official hardware: MaxKB: minimum 4 vCPU · 8 GB RAM · 100 GB disk. RAGFlow: recommended 4 vCPU · 16 GB RAM · 50 GB disk (no separate minimum published).
- Est. server cost: MaxKB: from €35.99/mo. RAGFlow: from €69.99/mo.
- Deploy: MaxKB: Docker · single container. RAGFlow: Docker Compose · multi-container stack.
- GitHub stars: MaxKB: 23.0k. RAGFlow: 92.6k.
- Last commit: MaxKB: Oct 21, 2026. RAGFlow: Oct 22, 2026.
- Latest release: MaxKB: v2.10.8-lts (Oct 22, 2026). RAGFlow: v1.0.0-rc2 (Oct 16, 2026).
Same for both: Category: Knowledge base & RAG; GPU: not required or not stated; Status: Active.
MaxKB vs RAGFlow: FAQ
MaxKB or RAGFlow: which should a small business choose?
Choose MaxKB if you want: cheaper to host (from €35.99/mo vs €69.99/mo) and simpler deploy (one container vs a multi-container stack). Choose RAGFlow if you want: fewer license conditions (Permissive vs Copyleft (GPL)) and larger community (92.6k vs 23.0k GitHub stars).
Which is cheaper to self-host, MaxKB or RAGFlow?
MaxKB: cheaper to host (from €35.99/mo vs €69.99/mo).
How much hardware do MaxKB and RAGFlow need?
MaxKB: minimum 4 vCPU · 8 GB RAM · 100 GB disk. RAGFlow: recommended 4 vCPU · 16 GB RAM · 50 GB disk (no separate minimum published).
What is the license difference between MaxKB and RAGFlow?
MaxKB: GPL-3.0 (Copyleft (GPL)). Free to use internally and commercially. If you distribute a modified version, you must release its source under GPL-3.0. RAGFlow: Apache-2.0 (Permissive). Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Is MaxKB or RAGFlow more actively maintained?
MaxKB: Active, last commit Oct 21, 2026. RAGFlow: Active, last commit Oct 22, 2026. GitHub data refreshed Oct 22, 2026.
Which is easier to deploy, MaxKB or RAGFlow?
MaxKB installs via Docker (single container); RAGFlow via Docker Compose (multi-container stack). MaxKB lists 2 known gotchas and RAGFlow lists 2; see each app page.
Related
- MaxKB self-hosting guide · RAGFlow self-hosting guide
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Sources
- MaxKB GitHub repository: github.com/1Panel-dev/MaxKB
- MaxKB documentation, MaxKB hardware requirements: docs.fit2cloud.com/maxkb/installation/offline_installtion
- MaxKB license: github.com/1Panel-dev/MaxKB/blob/v2/LICENSE
- MaxKB deploy instructions: github.com/1Panel-dev/MaxKB#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.