DocsGPT vs MaxKB
Short answer
DocsGPT: Open-source platform for AI agents and assistants that answer from your documents with sources. MaxKB: Enterprise knowledge-base and agent platform with RAG and workflows. Both are in our Knowledge base & RAG category.
Choose DocsGPT if you want: fewer license conditions (Permissive vs Copyleft (GPL)).
Choose MaxKB if you want: simpler deploy (one container vs a multi-container stack).
DocsGPT 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
DocsGPT vs MaxKB side by side
| DocsGPT | MaxKB | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Knowledge base & RAG | Knowledge base & RAG |
| What it is | Open-source platform for AI agents and assistants that answer from your documents with sources. | Enterprise knowledge-base and agent platform with RAG and workflows. |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| License type | Permissive | Copyleft (GPL) |
| License conditions | Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. | 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 | 18.3k | 23.0k |
| Last commit | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 21, 2026 |
| Latest release | 1.0.0 | v2.10.8-lts |
| Minimum hardware | Not published | 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 | Not estimated | from €35.99/mo |
| Deploy method | Docker Compose | Docker |
| Known gotchas | 4 listed | 2 listed |
| Telemetry | On by default | Not documented |
| Calls home by default | Yes, by default | Not documented |
| SSO (OIDC / SAML / LDAP) | Free (OIDC free) | Paid / enterprise only (OIDC paid · SAML paid · LDAP paid) |
| Audit log | Yes, free | Paid / enterprise only |
| RBAC | Yes, free | Paid / enterprise only |
| Details | Full DocsGPT guide → | Full MaxKB guide → |
Key differences
- License: DocsGPT: MIT (Permissive). MaxKB: GPL-3.0 (Copyleft (GPL)).
- Official hardware: DocsGPT: not published. MaxKB: minimum 4 vCPU · 8 GB RAM · 100 GB disk.
- Est. server cost: DocsGPT: not estimated (no official RAM figure). MaxKB: from €35.99/mo.
- Deploy: DocsGPT: Docker Compose · multi-container stack. MaxKB: Docker · single container.
- GitHub stars: DocsGPT: 18.3k. MaxKB: 23.0k.
- Last commit: DocsGPT: Oct 24, 2026. MaxKB: Oct 21, 2026.
- Latest release: DocsGPT: 1.0.0 (Oct 8, 2026). MaxKB: v2.10.8-lts (Oct 22, 2026).
Same for both: Category: Knowledge base & RAG; GPU: not required or not stated; Status: Active.
DocsGPT vs MaxKB: FAQ
DocsGPT or MaxKB: which should a small business choose?
Choose DocsGPT if you want: fewer license conditions (Permissive vs Copyleft (GPL)). Choose MaxKB if you want: simpler deploy (one container vs a multi-container stack). DocsGPT publishes no official RAM figure, so we cannot compare hosting cost directly.
Which is cheaper to self-host, DocsGPT or MaxKB?
DocsGPT: not estimated (no official RAM figure). MaxKB: from €35.99/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 DocsGPT and MaxKB need?
DocsGPT: not published. MaxKB: minimum 4 vCPU · 8 GB RAM · 100 GB disk.
What is the license difference between DocsGPT and MaxKB?
DocsGPT: MIT (Permissive). Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. 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 DocsGPT or MaxKB more actively maintained?
DocsGPT: Active, last commit Oct 24, 2026. MaxKB: Active, last commit Oct 21, 2026. GitHub data refreshed Oct 24, 2026.
Which is easier to deploy, DocsGPT or MaxKB?
DocsGPT installs via Docker Compose (multi-container stack); MaxKB via Docker (single container). DocsGPT lists 4 known gotchas and MaxKB lists 2; see each app page.
Related
- DocsGPT self-hosting guide · MaxKB self-hosting guide
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Sources
- DocsGPT GitHub repository: github.com/arc53/DocsGPT
- DocsGPT documentation: docs.docsgpt.cloud/
- DocsGPT license: github.com/arc53/DocsGPT/blob/main/LICENSE
- DocsGPT hardware requirements, DocsGPT deploy instructions: docs.docsgpt.cloud/Deploying/Docker-Deploying
- 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.