Dify vs MaxKB
Short answer
Dify: Visual platform for building LLM apps, RAG chatbots, agents and workflows. MaxKB: Enterprise knowledge-base and agent platform with RAG and workflows. 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 €35.99/mo), lighter official minimum (4 GB vs 8 GB RAM) and larger community (159k vs 23.0k GitHub stars).
Choose MaxKB if you want: simpler deploy (one container vs a multi-container stack).
Last updated · computed from each project's official docs and live GitHub data · sources
Dify vs MaxKB side by side
| Dify | MaxKB | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI app & agent builders | Knowledge base & RAG |
| What it is | Visual platform for building LLM apps, RAG chatbots, agents and workflows. | Enterprise knowledge-base and agent platform with RAG and workflows. |
| License | Dify Open Source License (modified Apache-2.0) | GPL-3.0 |
| License type | Custom / conditional | Copyleft (GPL) |
| 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. | Free to use internally and commercially. If you distribute a modified version, you must release its source under GPL-3.0. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| GitHub stars | 159k | 23.0k |
| Last commit | Oct 22, 2026 | Oct 21, 2026 |
| Latest release | 1.17.1 | v2.10.8-lts |
| Minimum hardware | 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM | 4 vCPU · 8 GB RAM · 100 GB disk |
| Recommended hardware | Not published | Not published |
| 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 €35.99/mo |
| Deploy method | Docker Compose | Docker |
| 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 | Paid / enterprise only (OIDC paid · SAML paid · LDAP paid) |
| Audit log | Not documented | Paid / enterprise only |
| RBAC | Basic free, more in paid plan | Paid / enterprise only |
| Details | Full Dify guide → | Full MaxKB guide → |
Key differences
- Category: Dify: AI app & agent builders. MaxKB: Knowledge base & RAG.
- License: Dify: Dify Open Source License (modified Apache-2.0) (Custom / conditional). MaxKB: GPL-3.0 (Copyleft (GPL)).
- Official hardware: Dify: minimum 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM. MaxKB: minimum 4 vCPU · 8 GB RAM · 100 GB disk.
- Est. server cost: Dify: from €19.99/mo. MaxKB: from €35.99/mo.
- Deploy: Dify: Docker Compose · multi-container stack. MaxKB: Docker · single container.
- GitHub stars: Dify: 159k. MaxKB: 23.0k.
- Last commit: Dify: Oct 22, 2026. MaxKB: Oct 21, 2026.
- Latest release: Dify: 1.17.1 (Sep 10, 2026). MaxKB: v2.10.8-lts (Oct 22, 2026).
Same for both: GPU: not required or not stated; Status: Active.
Dify vs MaxKB: FAQ
Dify or MaxKB: which should a small business choose?
Choose Dify if you want: cheaper to host (from €19.99/mo vs €35.99/mo), lighter official minimum (4 GB vs 8 GB RAM) and larger community (159k vs 23.0k GitHub stars). Choose MaxKB if you want: simpler deploy (one container vs a multi-container stack).
Which is cheaper to self-host, Dify or MaxKB?
Dify: cheaper to host (from €19.99/mo vs €35.99/mo).
How much hardware do Dify and MaxKB need?
Dify: minimum 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM. MaxKB: minimum 4 vCPU · 8 GB RAM · 100 GB disk.
What is the license difference between Dify and MaxKB?
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. 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. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Is Dify or MaxKB more actively maintained?
Dify: Active, last commit Oct 22, 2026. MaxKB: Active, last commit Oct 21, 2026. GitHub data refreshed Oct 22, 2026.
Which is easier to deploy, Dify or MaxKB?
Dify installs via Docker Compose (multi-container stack); MaxKB via Docker (single container). Dify lists 2 known gotchas and MaxKB lists 2; see each app page.
Related
- Dify self-hosting guide · MaxKB self-hosting guide
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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
- 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
- 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.