FastGPT vs Karakeep
Short answer
FastGPT: Knowledge-base Q&A and visual AI workflow platform. Karakeep: Self-hosted bookmark and read-later app (formerly Hoarder) with AI tagging, summaries and full-text search. Both are in our Knowledge base & RAG category.
Choose FastGPT if you want: fewer license conditions (Custom / conditional vs Network copyleft (AGPL)).
Karakeep 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
FastGPT vs Karakeep side by side
| FastGPT | Karakeep | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Knowledge base & RAG | Knowledge base & RAG |
| What it is | Knowledge-base Q&A and visual AI workflow platform. | Self-hosted bookmark and read-later app (formerly Hoarder) with AI tagging, summaries and full-text search. |
| License | FastGPT Open Source License (Apache-2.0 with conditions) | AGPL-3.0 |
| License type | Custom / conditional | Network copyleft (AGPL) |
| License conditions | Commercial use is allowed. You need a commercial license to run a multi-tenant SaaS similar to FastGPT, or to remove or modify the logo or copyright in the console. | Free for internal and commercial use. If you modify Karakeep and let users interact with it over a network, you must offer them the modified source under AGPL-3.0. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| GitHub stars | 30.0k | 30.2k |
| Last commit | Nov 1, 2026 | Oct 31, 2026 |
| Latest release | v4.17.2 | v0.34.1 |
| Minimum hardware | 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM | Not published |
| Recommended hardware | 2 vCPU · 8 GB RAM | Not published |
| RAM measured by us | Not tested yet | Not tested yet |
| GPU | Not required / not stated | No. AI tagging calls OpenAI or an Ollama server you configure. |
| Est. server cost | from €19.99/mo (recommended spec: €35.99/mo) | Not estimated |
| Deploy method | Docker Compose (install script) | Docker Compose |
| Known gotchas | 2 listed | 4 listed |
| Telemetry | Not documented | Not documented |
| Calls home by default | Not documented | Yes, by default |
| SSO (OIDC / SAML / LDAP) | Paid / enterprise only | Free (OIDC free) |
| Audit log | Not documented | Not documented |
| RBAC | Paid / enterprise only | Not documented |
| Details | Full FastGPT guide → | Full Karakeep guide → |
Key differences
- License: FastGPT: FastGPT Open Source License (Apache-2.0 with conditions) (Custom / conditional). Karakeep: AGPL-3.0 (Network copyleft (AGPL)).
- Official hardware: FastGPT: minimum 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM (recommended 2 vCPU · 8 GB RAM). Karakeep: not published.
- GPU: FastGPT: not required or not stated. Karakeep: optional / see notes.
- Est. server cost: FastGPT: from €19.99/mo. Karakeep: not estimated (no official RAM figure).
- Deploy: FastGPT: Docker Compose (install script) · multi-container stack. Karakeep: Docker Compose · multi-container stack.
- GitHub stars: FastGPT: 30.0k. Karakeep: 30.2k.
- Last commit: FastGPT: Nov 1, 2026. Karakeep: Oct 31, 2026.
- Latest release: FastGPT: v4.17.2 (Oct 9, 2026). Karakeep: v0.34.1 (Oct 22, 2026).
Same for both: Category: Knowledge base & RAG; Status: Active.
FastGPT vs Karakeep: FAQ
FastGPT or Karakeep: which should a small business choose?
Choose FastGPT if you want: fewer license conditions (Custom / conditional vs Network copyleft (AGPL)). Karakeep publishes no official RAM figure, so we cannot compare hosting cost directly.
Which is cheaper to self-host, FastGPT or Karakeep?
FastGPT: from €19.99/mo. Karakeep: not estimated (no official RAM figure). 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 FastGPT and Karakeep need?
FastGPT: minimum 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM (recommended 2 vCPU · 8 GB RAM). Karakeep: not published.
What is the license difference between FastGPT and Karakeep?
FastGPT: FastGPT Open Source License (Apache-2.0 with conditions) (Custom / conditional). Commercial use is allowed. You need a commercial license to run a multi-tenant SaaS similar to FastGPT, or to remove or modify the logo or copyright in the console. Karakeep: AGPL-3.0 (Network copyleft (AGPL)). Free for internal and commercial use. If you modify Karakeep and let users interact with it over a network, you must offer them the modified source under AGPL-3.0. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Is FastGPT or Karakeep more actively maintained?
FastGPT: Active, last commit Nov 1, 2026. Karakeep: Active, last commit Oct 31, 2026. GitHub data refreshed Nov 1, 2026.
Which is easier to deploy, FastGPT or Karakeep?
FastGPT installs via Docker Compose (install script) (multi-container stack); Karakeep via Docker Compose (multi-container stack). FastGPT lists 2 known gotchas and Karakeep lists 4; see each app page.
Related
- FastGPT self-hosting guide · Karakeep self-hosting guide
- All FastGPT alternatives, ranked
- All Karakeep alternatives, ranked
- AFFiNE vs FastGPT
- AFFiNE vs Karakeep
- AnythingLLM vs FastGPT
- AnythingLLM vs Karakeep
- Coze Studio vs FastGPT
- Dify vs FastGPT
- DocsGPT vs FastGPT
- DocsGPT vs Karakeep
- FastGPT vs kotaemon
- FastGPT vs Langchain-Chatchat
- FastGPT vs LightRAG
- FastGPT vs MaxKB
- Add a third app in the interactive comparison
Sources
- FastGPT GitHub repository: github.com/labring/FastGPT
- FastGPT documentation, FastGPT hardware requirements: doc.fastgpt.io/self-host/deploy/docker
- FastGPT license: github.com/labring/FastGPT/blob/main/LICENSE
- FastGPT deploy instructions: github.com/labring/FastGPT#readme
- Karakeep GitHub repository: github.com/karakeep-app/karakeep
- Karakeep documentation, Karakeep hardware requirements, Karakeep deploy instructions: docs.karakeep.com/installation/docker/
- Karakeep license: github.com/karakeep-app/karakeep/blob/main/LICENSE
- Hetzner Cloud pricing used for cost estimates (read 2026-10-25): 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.