MaxKB vs Onyx (formerly Danswer)
Short answer
MaxKB: Enterprise knowledge-base and agent platform with RAG and workflows. Onyx (formerly Danswer): AI chat and enterprise search connected to 50+ workplace apps. Both are in our Knowledge base & RAG category.
Choose MaxKB if you want: cheaper to host (from €35.99/mo vs €69.99/mo), lighter official minimum (8 GB vs 10 GB RAM) and simpler deploy (one container vs a multi-container stack).
Choose Onyx (formerly Danswer) if you want: fewer license conditions (Open core vs Copyleft (GPL)).
Last updated · computed from each project's official docs and live GitHub data · sources
MaxKB vs Onyx (formerly Danswer) side by side
| MaxKB | Onyx (formerly Danswer) | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Knowledge base & RAG | Knowledge base & RAG |
| What it is | Enterprise knowledge-base and agent platform with RAG and workflows. | AI chat and enterprise search connected to 50+ workplace apps. |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT (Community Edition) + Onyx Enterprise License (ee directories) |
| License type | Copyleft (GPL) | Open core |
| License conditions | Free to use internally and commercially. If you distribute a modified version, you must release its source under GPL-3.0. | The Community Edition is MIT. Code in "ee" directories is under the Onyx Enterprise License. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| GitHub stars | 23.0k | 32.8k |
| Last commit | Oct 21, 2026 | Oct 22, 2026 |
| Latest release | v2.10.8-lts | v4.9.2 |
| Minimum hardware | 4 vCPU · 8 GB RAM · 100 GB disk | 4 vCPU · 10 GB RAM · 32 GB disk |
| Recommended hardware | Not published | 8 vCPU · 16 GB RAM · 500 GB disk |
| GPU | Not required / not stated | Not required / not stated |
| Est. server cost | from €35.99/mo | from €69.99/mo |
| Deploy method | Docker | Install script (Docker Compose) |
| Known gotchas | 2 listed | 2 listed |
| Details | Full MaxKB guide → | Full Onyx (formerly Danswer) guide → |
Key differences
- License: MaxKB: GPL-3.0 (Copyleft (GPL)). Onyx (formerly Danswer): MIT (Community Edition) + Onyx Enterprise License (ee directories) (Open core).
- Official hardware: MaxKB: minimum 4 vCPU · 8 GB RAM · 100 GB disk. Onyx (formerly Danswer): minimum 4 vCPU · 10 GB RAM · 32 GB disk (recommended 8 vCPU · 16 GB RAM · 500 GB disk).
- Est. server cost: MaxKB: from €35.99/mo. Onyx (formerly Danswer): from €69.99/mo.
- Deploy: MaxKB: Docker · single container. Onyx (formerly Danswer): Install script (Docker Compose) · multi-container stack.
- GitHub stars: MaxKB: 23.0k. Onyx (formerly Danswer): 32.8k.
- Last commit: MaxKB: Oct 21, 2026. Onyx (formerly Danswer): Oct 22, 2026.
- Latest release: MaxKB: v2.10.8-lts (Oct 22, 2026). Onyx (formerly Danswer): v4.9.2 (Oct 15, 2026).
Same for both: Category: Knowledge base & RAG; GPU: not required or not stated; Status: Active.
MaxKB vs Onyx (formerly Danswer): FAQ
MaxKB or Onyx (formerly Danswer): which should a small business choose?
Choose MaxKB if you want: cheaper to host (from €35.99/mo vs €69.99/mo), lighter official minimum (8 GB vs 10 GB RAM) and simpler deploy (one container vs a multi-container stack). Choose Onyx (formerly Danswer) if you want: fewer license conditions (Open core vs Copyleft (GPL)).
Which is cheaper to self-host, MaxKB or Onyx (formerly Danswer)?
MaxKB: cheaper to host (from €35.99/mo vs €69.99/mo).
How much hardware do MaxKB and Onyx (formerly Danswer) need?
MaxKB: minimum 4 vCPU · 8 GB RAM · 100 GB disk. Onyx (formerly Danswer): minimum 4 vCPU · 10 GB RAM · 32 GB disk (recommended 8 vCPU · 16 GB RAM · 500 GB disk).
What is the license difference between MaxKB and Onyx (formerly Danswer)?
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. Onyx (formerly Danswer): MIT (Community Edition) + Onyx Enterprise License (ee directories) (Open core). The Community Edition is MIT. Code in "ee" directories is under the Onyx Enterprise License. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Is MaxKB or Onyx (formerly Danswer) more actively maintained?
MaxKB: Active, last commit Oct 21, 2026. Onyx (formerly Danswer): Active, last commit Oct 22, 2026. GitHub data refreshed Oct 22, 2026.
Which is easier to deploy, MaxKB or Onyx (formerly Danswer)?
MaxKB installs via Docker (single container); Onyx (formerly Danswer) via Install script (Docker Compose) (multi-container stack). MaxKB lists 2 known gotchas and Onyx (formerly Danswer) lists 2; see each app page.
Related
- MaxKB self-hosting guide · Onyx (formerly Danswer) self-hosting guide
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Sources
- 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
- Onyx (formerly Danswer) GitHub repository: github.com/onyx-dot-app/onyx
- Onyx (formerly Danswer) documentation, Onyx (formerly Danswer) hardware requirements: docs.onyx.app/deployment/getting_started/resourcing
- Onyx (formerly Danswer) license: github.com/onyx-dot-app/onyx/blob/main/LICENSE
- Onyx (formerly Danswer) deploy instructions: github.com/onyx-dot-app/onyx#readme
- 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.