LightRAG vs RAGFlow
Short answer
LightRAG: Graph-based RAG server that builds a knowledge graph from your documents, with a web UI and REST API. RAGFlow: RAG engine with deep document parsing (OCR, layout and tables) and cited answers. Both are in our Knowledge base & RAG category.
Choose RAGFlow if you want: larger community (93.2k vs 40.4k GitHub stars).
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 RAGFlow side by side
| LightRAG | RAGFlow | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | RAG engine with deep document parsing (OCR, layout and tables) and cited answers. |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| License type | Permissive | Permissive |
| License conditions | Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed. Models keep their own licenses. | Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| GitHub stars | 40.4k | 93.2k |
| Last commit | Oct 14, 2026 | Oct 31, 2026 |
| Latest release | v1.5.7 | v1.0.0-rc3 |
| Minimum hardware | Not published | Not published |
| Recommended hardware | Not published | 4 vCPU · 16 GB RAM · 50 GB disk |
| 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 €69.99/mo |
| Deploy method | Docker Compose | Docker Compose |
| 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 | Free (OIDC free) |
| Audit log | Not documented | Not documented |
| RBAC | Not documented | Basic free, more in paid plan |
| Details | Full LightRAG guide → | Full RAGFlow guide → |
Key differences
- License: LightRAG: MIT (Permissive). RAGFlow: Apache-2.0 (Permissive).
- Official hardware: LightRAG: not published. RAGFlow: recommended 4 vCPU · 16 GB RAM · 50 GB disk (no separate minimum published).
- GPU: LightRAG: optional / see notes. RAGFlow: not required or not stated.
- Est. server cost: LightRAG: not estimated (no official RAM figure). RAGFlow: from €69.99/mo.
- GitHub stars: LightRAG: 40.4k. RAGFlow: 93.2k.
- Last commit: LightRAG: Oct 14, 2026. RAGFlow: Oct 31, 2026.
- Latest release: LightRAG: v1.5.7 (Sep 2, 2026). RAGFlow: v1.0.0-rc3 (Oct 30, 2026).
Same for both: Category: Knowledge base & RAG; Deploy: Docker Compose · multi-container stack; Status: Active.
LightRAG vs RAGFlow: FAQ
LightRAG or RAGFlow: which should a small business choose?
Choose RAGFlow if you want: larger community (93.2k vs 40.4k GitHub stars). LightRAG publishes no official RAM figure, so we cannot compare hosting cost directly.
Which is cheaper to self-host, LightRAG or RAGFlow?
LightRAG: not estimated (no official RAM figure). RAGFlow: from €69.99/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 RAGFlow need?
LightRAG: not published. RAGFlow: recommended 4 vCPU · 16 GB RAM · 50 GB disk (no separate minimum published).
What is the license difference between LightRAG and RAGFlow?
LightRAG: MIT (Permissive). Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed. Models keep their own licenses. RAGFlow: Apache-2.0 (Permissive). Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Is LightRAG or RAGFlow more actively maintained?
LightRAG: Active, last commit Oct 14, 2026. RAGFlow: Active, last commit Oct 31, 2026. GitHub data refreshed Oct 31, 2026.
Which is easier to deploy, LightRAG or RAGFlow?
LightRAG installs via Docker Compose (multi-container stack); RAGFlow via Docker Compose (multi-container stack). LightRAG lists 4 known gotchas and RAGFlow lists 2; see each app page.
Related
- LightRAG self-hosting guide · RAGFlow self-hosting guide
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- kotaemon vs RAGFlow
- 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
- RAGFlow GitHub repository: github.com/infiniflow/ragflow
- RAGFlow documentation, RAGFlow hardware requirements, RAGFlow deploy instructions: github.com/infiniflow/ragflow#-get-started
- RAGFlow license: github.com/infiniflow/ragflow/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.