PrivateGPT vs RAGFlow
Short answer
PrivateGPT: API-first private document Q&A that sits on top of your own LLM server. RAGFlow: RAG engine with deep document parsing (OCR, layout and tables) and cited answers. Both are in our Knowledge base & RAG category.
Choose RAGFlow if you want: larger community (92.6k vs 57.6k GitHub stars).
PrivateGPT publishes no official RAM figure, so we cannot compare hosting cost directly.
Last updated · computed from each project's official docs and live GitHub data · sources
PrivateGPT vs RAGFlow side by side
| PrivateGPT | RAGFlow | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Knowledge base & RAG | Knowledge base & RAG |
| What it is | API-first private document Q&A that sits on top of your own LLM server. | RAG engine with deep document parsing (OCR, layout and tables) and cited answers. |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| License type | Permissive | Permissive |
| License conditions | Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. | Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| GitHub stars | 57.6k | 92.6k |
| Last commit | Oct 20, 2026 | Oct 22, 2026 |
| Latest release | v1.0.1 | v1.0.0-rc2 |
| Minimum hardware | Not published | 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 | Not estimated | from €69.99/mo |
| Deploy method | uv (Python) or 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 (LDAP paid) | Free (OIDC free) |
| Audit log | Paid / enterprise only | Not documented |
| RBAC | Paid / enterprise only | Basic free, more in paid plan |
| Details | Full PrivateGPT guide → | Full RAGFlow guide → |
Key differences
- Official hardware: PrivateGPT: not published. RAGFlow: recommended 4 vCPU · 16 GB RAM · 50 GB disk (no separate minimum published).
- Est. server cost: PrivateGPT: not estimated (no official RAM figure). RAGFlow: from €69.99/mo.
- Deploy: PrivateGPT: uv (Python) or Docker · uv (Python) or Docker. RAGFlow: Docker Compose · multi-container stack.
- GitHub stars: PrivateGPT: 57.6k. RAGFlow: 92.6k.
- Last commit: PrivateGPT: Oct 20, 2026. RAGFlow: Oct 22, 2026.
- Latest release: PrivateGPT: v1.0.1 (Jun 18, 2026). RAGFlow: v1.0.0-rc2 (Oct 16, 2026).
Same for both: Category: Knowledge base & RAG; License: Apache-2.0 (Permissive); GPU: not required or not stated; Status: Active.
PrivateGPT vs RAGFlow: FAQ
PrivateGPT or RAGFlow: which should a small business choose?
Choose RAGFlow if you want: larger community (92.6k vs 57.6k GitHub stars). PrivateGPT publishes no official RAM figure, so we cannot compare hosting cost directly.
Which is cheaper to self-host, PrivateGPT or RAGFlow?
PrivateGPT: not estimated (no official RAM figure). RAGFlow: from €69.99/mo. Our estimate is the cheapest Hetzner Cloud plan that meets each project's official RAM and vCPU figure; it covers the server only.
How much hardware do PrivateGPT and RAGFlow need?
PrivateGPT: not published. RAGFlow: recommended 4 vCPU · 16 GB RAM · 50 GB disk (no separate minimum published).
What is the license difference between PrivateGPT and RAGFlow?
PrivateGPT: Apache-2.0 (Permissive). Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. RAGFlow: Apache-2.0 (Permissive). Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Is PrivateGPT or RAGFlow more actively maintained?
PrivateGPT: Active, last commit Oct 20, 2026. RAGFlow: Active, last commit Oct 22, 2026. GitHub data refreshed Oct 22, 2026.
Which is easier to deploy, PrivateGPT or RAGFlow?
PrivateGPT installs via uv (Python) or Docker (uv (Python) or Docker); RAGFlow via Docker Compose (multi-container stack). PrivateGPT lists 2 known gotchas and RAGFlow lists 2; see each app page.
Related
- PrivateGPT self-hosting guide · RAGFlow self-hosting guide
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- Add a third app in the interactive comparison
Sources
- PrivateGPT GitHub repository: github.com/zylon-ai/private-gpt
- PrivateGPT documentation, PrivateGPT hardware requirements: docs.privategpt.dev/getting-started/quickstart
- PrivateGPT license: github.com/zylon-ai/private-gpt/blob/main/LICENSE
- PrivateGPT deploy instructions: github.com/zylon-ai/private-gpt#readme
- 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.