Side by side
Dify vs RAGFlow
Both stand on retrieval-augmented generation tools. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan Open source APIExtensionLinux+4
Dify brings workflow building, knowledge retrieval, model connections, and several publishing options into one platform. Its free plans offer a starting point, while paid and Enterprise plans have defined costs or custom pricing and varying deployment options.
Visit Dify
Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+2
RAGFlow brings document ingestion, hybrid search, model connections, and agent workflows together, with both cloud and self-hosted options. The free tier has tight team and storage limits, and self-hosters should check deployment requirements before proceeding.
Visit RAGFlowThe facts
| Dify | RAGFlow | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Runs on | API, Extension, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Professional: $590 a year | Starter: $29 a month |
| Plans published | 7 | 4 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | dify.ai | ragflow.io |
| On retrieval-augmented generation tools | #1 of 26 | #2 of 26 |
Dify: what it does well
- Visual workflow canvas includes human review.
- Knowledge retrieval supports citations and metadata filters.
- Applications can publish as web apps, APIs, or MCP servers.
- Community Edition can be self-deployed with Docker.
- Enterprise supports VPC, on-premises, and air-gapped deployments.
What to know first
- Sandbox limits usage to 200 message credits.
- Professional costs $590 per workspace per year.
- Team costs $1590 per workspace per year.
- Enterprise pricing is custom.
RAGFlow: what it does well
- Combines vector search and BM25.
- Visual workflows integrate retrieval, tools, and MCPs.
- Supports online, local, and compatible model providers.
- Offers HTTP and Python APIs.
- Starter plan includes an API key.
What to know first
- Free plan does not include an API key.
- Free plan includes 0.1 GB dataset storage.
- ARM Docker images are not maintained by RAGFlow.
- Docker minimum build calls for 16 GB RAM.