LightRAG vs MaxKB
Short answer
LightRAG: Graph-based RAG server that builds a knowledge graph from your documents, with a web UI and REST API. MaxKB: Enterprise knowledge-base and agent platform with RAG and workflows. Both are in our Knowledge base & RAG category.
Choose LightRAG if you want: fewer license conditions (Permissive vs Copyleft (GPL)) and larger community (40.4k vs 23.1k GitHub stars).
Choose MaxKB if you want: simpler deploy (one container vs a multi-container stack).
LightRAG 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
LightRAG vs MaxKB side by side
| LightRAG | MaxKB | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Knowledge base & RAG | Knowledge base & RAG |
| What it is | Graph-based RAG server that builds a knowledge graph from your documents, with a web UI and REST API. | 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. Models keep their own licenses. | 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 | 40.4k | 23.1k |
| Last commit | Oct 14, 2026 | Oct 30, 2026 |
| Latest release | v1.5.7 | 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 | No. It calls the model providers you configure. | 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 | Not documented | Not documented |
| Calls home by default | Not documented | Not documented |
| SSO (OIDC / SAML / LDAP) | Not documented | Paid / enterprise only (OIDC paid · SAML paid · LDAP paid) |
| Audit log | Not documented | Paid / enterprise only |
| RBAC | Not documented | Paid / enterprise only |
| Details | Full LightRAG guide → | Full MaxKB guide → |
Key differences
- License: LightRAG: MIT (Permissive). MaxKB: GPL-3.0 (Copyleft (GPL)).
- Official hardware: LightRAG: not published. MaxKB: minimum 4 vCPU · 8 GB RAM · 100 GB disk.
- GPU: LightRAG: optional / see notes. MaxKB: not required or not stated.
- Est. server cost: LightRAG: not estimated (no official RAM figure). MaxKB: from €35.99/mo.
- Deploy: LightRAG: Docker Compose · multi-container stack. MaxKB: Docker · single container.
- GitHub stars: LightRAG: 40.4k. MaxKB: 23.1k.
- Last commit: LightRAG: Oct 14, 2026. MaxKB: Oct 30, 2026.
- Latest release: LightRAG: v1.5.7 (Sep 2, 2026). MaxKB: v2.10.8-lts (Oct 22, 2026).
Same for both: Category: Knowledge base & RAG; Status: Active.
LightRAG vs MaxKB: FAQ
LightRAG or MaxKB: which should a small business choose?
Choose LightRAG if you want: fewer license conditions (Permissive vs Copyleft (GPL)) and larger community (40.4k vs 23.1k GitHub stars). Choose MaxKB if you want: simpler deploy (one container vs a multi-container stack). LightRAG publishes no official RAM figure, so we cannot compare hosting cost directly.
Which is cheaper to self-host, LightRAG or MaxKB?
LightRAG: 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 LightRAG and MaxKB need?
LightRAG: not published. MaxKB: minimum 4 vCPU · 8 GB RAM · 100 GB disk.
What is the license difference between LightRAG and MaxKB?
LightRAG: MIT (Permissive). Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed. Models keep their own licenses. 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 LightRAG or MaxKB more actively maintained?
LightRAG: Active, last commit Oct 14, 2026. MaxKB: Active, last commit Oct 30, 2026. GitHub data refreshed Oct 31, 2026.
Which is easier to deploy, LightRAG or MaxKB?
LightRAG installs via Docker Compose (multi-container stack); MaxKB via Docker (single container). LightRAG lists 4 known gotchas and MaxKB lists 2; see each app page.
Related
- LightRAG self-hosting guide · MaxKB self-hosting guide
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Sources
- LightRAG GitHub repository: github.com/HKUDS/LightRAG
- LightRAG documentation: github.com/HKUDS/LightRAG/blob/main/docs/LightRAG-API-Server.md
- LightRAG license: github.com/HKUDS/LightRAG/blob/main/LICENSE
- LightRAG hardware requirements: github.com/HKUDS/LightRAG#selecting-backend-storage
- LightRAG deploy instructions: github.com/HKUDS/LightRAG#install-lightrag-server
- 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 2026-10-25): 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.