Dify vs Sim
Short answer
Dify: Visual platform for building LLM apps, RAG chatbots, agents and workflows. Sim: Visual builder for AI agent workflows, with knowledge bases, integrations and an API. Both are in our AI app & agent builders category.
Choose Dify if you want: cheaper to host (from €19.99/mo vs €69.99/mo), lighter official minimum (4 GB vs 12 GB RAM) and larger community (159k vs 29.9k GitHub stars).
Choose Sim 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 Sim side by side
| Dify | Sim | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI app & agent builders | AI app & agent builders |
| What it is | Visual platform for building LLM apps, RAG chatbots, agents and workflows. | Visual builder for AI agent workflows, with knowledge bases, integrations and an API. |
| 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. The built-in Chat feature is a Sim-managed service that needs a Chat API key from sim.ai. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| GitHub stars | 159k | 29.9k |
| Last commit | Oct 22, 2026 | Oct 22, 2026 |
| Latest release | 1.17.1 | v0.9.31 |
| Minimum hardware | 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM | 2 vCPU · 12 GB RAM · 20 GB disk |
| 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 (setup wizard or manual) |
| Known gotchas | 2 listed | 4 listed |
| Telemetry | On by default | On by default |
| Calls home by default | Yes, by default | Not documented |
| SSO (OIDC / SAML / LDAP) | Paid / enterprise only | Free (OIDC free · SAML free) |
| Audit log | Not documented | Yes, free |
| RBAC | Basic free, more in paid plan | Yes, free |
| Details | Full Dify guide → | Full Sim guide → |
Key differences
- License: Dify: Dify Open Source License (modified Apache-2.0) (Custom / conditional). Sim: Apache-2.0 (Permissive).
- Official hardware: Dify: minimum 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM. Sim: minimum 2 vCPU · 12 GB RAM · 20 GB disk (recommended 4 vCPU · 16 GB RAM · 50 GB disk).
- Est. server cost: Dify: from €19.99/mo. Sim: from €69.99/mo.
- Deploy: Dify: Docker Compose · multi-container stack. Sim: Docker Compose (setup wizard or manual) · multi-container stack.
- GitHub stars: Dify: 159k. Sim: 29.9k.
- Latest release: Dify: 1.17.1 (Sep 10, 2026). Sim: v0.9.31 (Oct 22, 2026).
Same for both: Category: AI app & agent builders; GPU: not required or not stated; Status: Active; Last commit: Oct 22, 2026.
Dify vs Sim: FAQ
Dify or Sim: which should a small business choose?
Choose Dify if you want: cheaper to host (from €19.99/mo vs €69.99/mo), lighter official minimum (4 GB vs 12 GB RAM) and larger community (159k vs 29.9k GitHub stars). Choose Sim if you want: fewer license conditions (Permissive vs Custom / conditional).
Which is cheaper to self-host, Dify or Sim?
Dify: cheaper to host (from €19.99/mo vs €69.99/mo).
How much hardware do Dify and Sim need?
Dify: minimum 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM. Sim: minimum 2 vCPU · 12 GB RAM · 20 GB disk (recommended 4 vCPU · 16 GB RAM · 50 GB disk).
What is the license difference between Dify and Sim?
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. Sim: Apache-2.0 (Permissive). Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. The built-in Chat feature is a Sim-managed service that needs a Chat API key from sim.ai. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Is Dify or Sim more actively maintained?
Dify: Active, last commit Oct 22, 2026. Sim: Active, last commit Oct 22, 2026. GitHub data refreshed Oct 22, 2026.
Which is easier to deploy, Dify or Sim?
Dify installs via Docker Compose (multi-container stack); Sim via Docker Compose (setup wizard or manual) (multi-container stack). Dify lists 2 known gotchas and Sim lists 4; see each app page.
Related
- Dify self-hosting guide · Sim self-hosting guide
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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
- Sim GitHub repository: github.com/simstudioai/sim
- Sim documentation: docs.sim.ai/platform/self-hosting
- Sim license: github.com/simstudioai/sim/blob/main/LICENSE
- Sim hardware requirements: docs.sim.ai/platform/self-hosting#requirements
- Sim deploy instructions: docs.sim.ai/platform/self-hosting/docker
- 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.