FastGPT vs Open Notebook
Short answer
FastGPT: Knowledge-base Q&A and visual AI workflow platform. Open Notebook: Private, self-hosted alternative to Google NotebookLM with your choice of AI models. Both are in our Knowledge base & RAG category.
Choose Open Notebook if you want: fewer license conditions (Permissive vs Custom / conditional).
Last updated · computed from each project's official docs and live GitHub data · sources
FastGPT vs Open Notebook side by side
| FastGPT | Open Notebook | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Knowledge base & RAG | Knowledge base & RAG |
| What it is | Knowledge-base Q&A and visual AI workflow platform. | Private, self-hosted alternative to Google NotebookLM with your choice of AI models. |
| License | FastGPT Open Source License (Apache-2.0 with conditions) | MIT |
| License type | Custom / conditional | Permissive |
| 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. | Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep the license notice. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| GitHub stars | 29.9k | 40.5k |
| Last commit | Oct 22, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
| Latest release | v4.17.2 | v1.15.0 |
| Minimum hardware | 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM | 4 GB RAM |
| Recommended hardware | 2 vCPU · 8 GB RAM | 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 (recommended spec: €35.99/mo) | from €19.99/mo |
| 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 | Not documented |
| SSO (OIDC / SAML / LDAP) | Paid / enterprise only | Not supported (OIDC not supported · SAML not supported · LDAP not supported) |
| Audit log | Not documented | No |
| RBAC | Paid / enterprise only | No |
| Details | Full FastGPT guide → | Full Open Notebook guide → |
Key differences
- License: FastGPT: FastGPT Open Source License (Apache-2.0 with conditions) (Custom / conditional). Open Notebook: MIT (Permissive).
- Official hardware: FastGPT: minimum 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM (recommended 2 vCPU · 8 GB RAM). Open Notebook: minimum 4 GB RAM.
- Deploy: FastGPT: Docker Compose (install script) · multi-container stack. Open Notebook: Docker Compose · multi-container stack.
- GitHub stars: FastGPT: 29.9k. Open Notebook: 40.5k.
- Last commit: FastGPT: Oct 22, 2026. Open Notebook: Oct 5, 2026.
- Latest release: FastGPT: v4.17.2 (Oct 9, 2026). Open Notebook: v1.15.0 (Oct 4, 2026).
Same for both: Category: Knowledge base & RAG; GPU: not required or not stated; Est. server cost: from €19.99/mo; Status: Active.
FastGPT vs Open Notebook: FAQ
FastGPT or Open Notebook: which should a small business choose?
Choose Open Notebook if you want: fewer license conditions (Permissive vs Custom / conditional).
Which is cheaper to self-host, FastGPT or Open Notebook?
FastGPT: from €19.99/mo. Open Notebook: from €19.99/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 FastGPT and Open Notebook need?
FastGPT: minimum 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM (recommended 2 vCPU · 8 GB RAM). Open Notebook: minimum 4 GB RAM.
What is the license difference between FastGPT and Open Notebook?
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. Open Notebook: MIT (Permissive). Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep the license notice. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Is FastGPT or Open Notebook more actively maintained?
FastGPT: Active, last commit Oct 22, 2026. Open Notebook: Active, last commit Oct 5, 2026. GitHub data refreshed Oct 22, 2026.
Which is easier to deploy, FastGPT or Open Notebook?
FastGPT installs via Docker Compose (install script) (multi-container stack); Open Notebook via Docker Compose (multi-container stack). FastGPT lists 2 known gotchas and Open Notebook lists 4; see each app page.
Related
- FastGPT self-hosting guide · Open Notebook self-hosting guide
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- All Open Notebook alternatives, ranked
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- Khoj vs Open Notebook
- MaxKB vs Open Notebook
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- Open Notebook vs PrivateGPT
- 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
- Open Notebook GitHub repository: github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook
- Open Notebook documentation, Open Notebook hardware requirements: github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/blob/main/docs/1-INSTALLATION/docker-compose.md
- Open Notebook license: github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/blob/main/LICENSE
- Open Notebook deploy instructions: github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook#step-1-download-docker-composeyml
- 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.