MaxKB vs PipesHub
Short answer
MaxKB: Enterprise knowledge-base and agent platform with RAG and workflows. PipesHub: Self-hosted workplace search and AI answers across 50+ connected apps, filtered by each user's permissions. Both are in our Knowledge base & RAG category.
Choose MaxKB if you want: larger community (23.1k vs 3.9k GitHub stars) and simpler deploy (one container vs a multi-container stack).
Choose PipesHub if you want: fewer license conditions (Permissive vs Copyleft (GPL)).
Last updated · computed from each project's official docs and live GitHub data · sources
MaxKB vs PipesHub side by side
| MaxKB | PipesHub | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Knowledge base & RAG | Knowledge base & RAG |
| What it is | Enterprise knowledge-base and agent platform with RAG and workflows. | Self-hosted workplace search and AI answers across 50+ connected apps, filtered by each user's permissions. |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| License type | Copyleft (GPL) | Permissive |
| License conditions | Free to use internally and commercially. If you distribute a modified version, you must release its source under GPL-3.0. | Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep the license and notices. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| GitHub stars | 23.1k | 3.9k |
| Last commit | Oct 27, 2026 | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Latest release | v2.10.8-lts | v0.10.0 |
| Minimum hardware | 4 vCPU · 8 GB RAM · 100 GB disk | 8 GB RAM |
| Recommended hardware | Not published | 16 GB RAM |
| RAM measured by us | Not tested yet | Not tested yet |
| GPU | Not required / not stated | Not required / not stated |
| Est. server cost | from €35.99/mo | from €35.99/mo (recommended spec: €69.99/mo) |
| Deploy method | Docker | Docker Compose (interactive installer) |
| Known gotchas | 2 listed | 4 listed |
| Telemetry | Not documented | On by default |
| Calls home by default | Not documented | Not documented |
| SSO (OIDC / SAML / LDAP) | Paid / enterprise only (OIDC paid · SAML paid · LDAP paid) | Free |
| Audit log | Paid / enterprise only | Not documented |
| RBAC | Paid / enterprise only | Not documented |
| Details | Full MaxKB guide → | Full PipesHub guide → |
Key differences
- License: MaxKB: GPL-3.0 (Copyleft (GPL)). PipesHub: Apache-2.0 (Permissive).
- Official hardware: MaxKB: minimum 4 vCPU · 8 GB RAM · 100 GB disk. PipesHub: minimum 8 GB RAM (recommended 16 GB RAM).
- Deploy: MaxKB: Docker · single container. PipesHub: Docker Compose (interactive installer) · multi-container stack.
- GitHub stars: MaxKB: 23.1k. PipesHub: 3.9k.
- Latest release: MaxKB: v2.10.8-lts (Oct 22, 2026). PipesHub: v0.10.0 (Oct 12, 2026).
Same for both: Category: Knowledge base & RAG; GPU: not required or not stated; Est. server cost: from €35.99/mo; Status: Active; Last commit: Oct 27, 2026.
MaxKB vs PipesHub: FAQ
MaxKB or PipesHub: which should a small business choose?
Choose MaxKB if you want: larger community (23.1k vs 3.9k GitHub stars) and simpler deploy (one container vs a multi-container stack). Choose PipesHub if you want: fewer license conditions (Permissive vs Copyleft (GPL)).
Which is cheaper to self-host, MaxKB or PipesHub?
MaxKB: from €35.99/mo. PipesHub: 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 MaxKB and PipesHub need?
MaxKB: minimum 4 vCPU · 8 GB RAM · 100 GB disk. PipesHub: minimum 8 GB RAM (recommended 16 GB RAM).
What is the license difference between MaxKB and PipesHub?
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. PipesHub: Apache-2.0 (Permissive). Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep the license and notices. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Is MaxKB or PipesHub more actively maintained?
MaxKB: Active, last commit Oct 27, 2026. PipesHub: Active, last commit Oct 27, 2026. GitHub data refreshed Oct 27, 2026.
Which is easier to deploy, MaxKB or PipesHub?
MaxKB installs via Docker (single container); PipesHub via Docker Compose (interactive installer) (multi-container stack). MaxKB lists 2 known gotchas and PipesHub lists 4; see each app page.
Related
- MaxKB self-hosting guide · PipesHub 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
- PipesHub GitHub repository: github.com/pipeshub-ai/pipeshub-ai
- PipesHub documentation: docs.pipeshub.com
- PipesHub license: github.com/pipeshub-ai/pipeshub-ai/blob/main/LICENSE
- PipesHub hardware requirements: github.com/pipeshub-ai/pipeshub-ai/blob/main/deployment/docker-compose/ADVANCED_DEPLOYMENT.md#deployment-types-slim-vs-full-vs-eval
- PipesHub deploy instructions: github.com/pipeshub-ai/pipeshub-ai/blob/main/deployment/docker-compose/ADVANCED_DEPLOYMENT.md
- 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.