GPT Researcher vs Vane (formerly Perplexica)
Short answer
GPT Researcher: Open-source deep research agent that browses the web and local documents and writes cited reports. Vane (formerly Perplexica): Private, Perplexity-style AI answer engine with cited web sources. Both are in our AI search & research assistants category.
Choose Vane (formerly Perplexica) if you want: simpler deploy (one container vs a multi-container stack).
Vane (formerly Perplexica) 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
GPT Researcher vs Vane (formerly Perplexica) side by side
| GPT Researcher | Vane (formerly Perplexica) | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI search & research assistants | AI search & research assistants |
| What it is | Open-source deep research agent that browses the web and local documents and writes cited reports. | Private, Perplexity-style AI answer engine with cited web sources. |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| License type | Permissive | Permissive |
| License conditions | Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. | Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep the copyright notice. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| GitHub stars | 30.3k | 37.7k |
| Last commit | Oct 10, 2026 | Sep 1, 2026 |
| Latest release | v3.7.0 | v1.12.2 |
| Minimum hardware | 1 vCPU · 2 GB RAM · 50 GB disk | Not published |
| 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 €11.99/mo | Not estimated |
| Deploy method | Docker Compose | Docker |
| Known gotchas | 3 listed | 2 listed |
| Telemetry | Not documented | Not documented |
| Calls home by default | Yes, by default | Not documented |
| SSO (OIDC / SAML / LDAP) | Not documented | Not documented |
| Audit log | Not documented | Not documented |
| RBAC | Not documented | Not documented |
| Details | Full GPT Researcher guide → | Full Vane (formerly Perplexica) guide → |
Key differences
- License: GPT Researcher: Apache-2.0 (Permissive). Vane (formerly Perplexica): MIT (Permissive).
- Official hardware: GPT Researcher: minimum 1 vCPU · 2 GB RAM · 50 GB disk. Vane (formerly Perplexica): not published.
- Est. server cost: GPT Researcher: from €11.99/mo. Vane (formerly Perplexica): not estimated (no official RAM figure).
- Deploy: GPT Researcher: Docker Compose · multi-container stack. Vane (formerly Perplexica): Docker · single container.
- GitHub stars: GPT Researcher: 30.3k. Vane (formerly Perplexica): 37.7k.
- Last commit: GPT Researcher: Oct 10, 2026. Vane (formerly Perplexica): Sep 1, 2026.
- Latest release: GPT Researcher: v3.7.0 (Sep 26, 2026). Vane (formerly Perplexica): v1.12.2 (Apr 10, 2026).
Same for both: Category: AI search & research assistants; GPU: not required or not stated; Status: Active.
GPT Researcher vs Vane (formerly Perplexica): FAQ
GPT Researcher or Vane (formerly Perplexica): which should a small business choose?
Choose Vane (formerly Perplexica) if you want: simpler deploy (one container vs a multi-container stack). Vane (formerly Perplexica) publishes no official RAM figure, so we cannot compare hosting cost directly.
Which is cheaper to self-host, GPT Researcher or Vane (formerly Perplexica)?
GPT Researcher: from €11.99/mo. Vane (formerly Perplexica): 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 GPT Researcher and Vane (formerly Perplexica) need?
GPT Researcher: minimum 1 vCPU · 2 GB RAM · 50 GB disk. Vane (formerly Perplexica): not published.
What is the license difference between GPT Researcher and Vane (formerly Perplexica)?
GPT Researcher: Apache-2.0 (Permissive). Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. Vane (formerly Perplexica): MIT (Permissive). Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep the copyright notice. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Is GPT Researcher or Vane (formerly Perplexica) more actively maintained?
GPT Researcher: Active, last commit Oct 10, 2026. Vane (formerly Perplexica): Active, last commit Sep 1, 2026. GitHub data refreshed Oct 23, 2026.
Which is easier to deploy, GPT Researcher or Vane (formerly Perplexica)?
GPT Researcher installs via Docker Compose (multi-container stack); Vane (formerly Perplexica) via Docker (single container). GPT Researcher lists 3 known gotchas and Vane (formerly Perplexica) lists 2; see each app page.
Related
Sources
- GPT Researcher GitHub repository: github.com/assafelovic/gpt-researcher
- GPT Researcher documentation: docs.gptr.dev/
- GPT Researcher license: github.com/assafelovic/gpt-researcher/blob/main/LICENSE
- GPT Researcher hardware requirements: docs.gptr.dev/docs/gpt-researcher/getting-started/linux-deployment
- GPT Researcher deploy instructions: docs.gptr.dev/docs/gpt-researcher/getting-started/getting-started-with-docker
- Vane (formerly Perplexica) GitHub repository: github.com/ItzCrazyKns/Vane
- Vane (formerly Perplexica) documentation, Vane (formerly Perplexica) hardware requirements, Vane (formerly Perplexica) deploy instructions: github.com/ItzCrazyKns/Vane#readme
- Vane (formerly Perplexica) license: github.com/ItzCrazyKns/Vane/blob/master/LICENSE
- 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.