LightRAG vs Open Notebook
Short answer
LightRAG: Graph-based RAG server that builds a knowledge graph from your documents, with a web UI and REST API. Open Notebook: Private, self-hosted alternative to Google NotebookLM with your choice of AI models. Both are in our Knowledge base & RAG category.
Our data does not separate them on cost, hardware, license, activity or deploy method (or one of them does not publish the figure). Decide on features: read the descriptions on each app page and try both.
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 Open Notebook side by side
| LightRAG | Open Notebook | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Private, self-hosted alternative to Google NotebookLM with your choice of AI models. |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| License type | Permissive | Permissive |
| License conditions | Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed. Models keep their own licenses. | Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep the license notice. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| GitHub stars | 40.4k | 41.0k |
| Last commit | Oct 14, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
| Latest release | v1.5.7 | v1.15.0 |
| Minimum hardware | Not published | 4 GB RAM |
| 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 €19.99/mo |
| Deploy method | Docker Compose | Docker Compose |
| Known gotchas | 4 listed | 4 listed |
| Telemetry | Not documented | Not documented |
| Calls home by default | Not documented | Not documented |
| SSO (OIDC / SAML / LDAP) | Not documented | Not supported (OIDC not supported · SAML not supported · LDAP not supported) |
| Audit log | Not documented | No |
| RBAC | Not documented | No |
| Details | Full LightRAG guide → | Full Open Notebook guide → |
Key differences
- Official hardware: LightRAG: not published. Open Notebook: minimum 4 GB RAM.
- GPU: LightRAG: optional / see notes. Open Notebook: not required or not stated.
- Est. server cost: LightRAG: not estimated (no official RAM figure). Open Notebook: from €19.99/mo.
- GitHub stars: LightRAG: 40.4k. Open Notebook: 41.0k.
- Last commit: LightRAG: Oct 14, 2026. Open Notebook: Oct 5, 2026.
- Latest release: LightRAG: v1.5.7 (Sep 2, 2026). Open Notebook: v1.15.0 (Oct 4, 2026).
Same for both: Category: Knowledge base & RAG; License: MIT (Permissive); Deploy: Docker Compose · multi-container stack; Status: Active.
The two projects share too few published figures for a data-based recommendation. We do not fill gaps with guesses.
LightRAG vs Open Notebook: FAQ
LightRAG or Open Notebook: which should a small business choose?
Our data does not separate them on cost, hardware, license, activity or deploy method (or one of them does not publish the figure). Decide on features: read the descriptions on each app page and try both. LightRAG publishes no official RAM figure, so we cannot compare hosting cost directly.
Which is cheaper to self-host, LightRAG or Open Notebook?
LightRAG: not estimated (no official RAM figure). 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 LightRAG and Open Notebook need?
LightRAG: not published. Open Notebook: minimum 4 GB RAM.
What is the license difference between LightRAG and Open Notebook?
LightRAG: MIT (Permissive). Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed. Models keep their own licenses. Open Notebook: MIT (Permissive). Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep the license notice. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Is LightRAG or Open Notebook more actively maintained?
LightRAG: Active, last commit Oct 14, 2026. Open Notebook: Active, last commit Oct 5, 2026. GitHub data refreshed Oct 31, 2026.
Which is easier to deploy, LightRAG or Open Notebook?
LightRAG installs via Docker Compose (multi-container stack); Open Notebook via Docker Compose (multi-container stack). LightRAG lists 4 known gotchas and Open Notebook lists 4; see each app page.
Related
- LightRAG self-hosting guide · Open Notebook self-hosting guide
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- Add a third app in the interactive comparison
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
- 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 2026-10-25): 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.