12 picks · data-backed ranking
Best open source AI tools
The best open source AI tools you can self-host are Ollama, Langflow and RAGFlow. Ollama leads with 182,289 GitHub stars. Candidates: the AI & LLM Tools category plus any app whose own description or topics mention AI, LLMs, RAG or agents (77 apps).
Updated · data from GitHub, refreshed nightly
Top picks
- Rank 1:
Ollama
ollama/ollama
Get up and running with Llama 3.3, DeepSeek-R1, Phi-4, Gemma 3, and other large language models.
AI & LLM ToolsGoDockerAI-nativeOllama has 182,289 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 1,083 commits in the last year; it replaces ChatGPT.
- Rank 2:
Langflow
langflow-ai/langflow
Visual framework for building and deploying AI agents and RAG workflows.
AI & LLM ToolsPythonDockerAI-nativeLangflow has 155,530 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 2,486 commits in the last year.
- Rank 3:
RAGFlow
infiniflow/ragflow
Open-source RAG engine with deep document understanding.
AI & LLM ToolsGoDockerAI-nativeRAGFlow has 91,708 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 5,821 commits in the last year.
Full ranking
All 12 picks, ranked
Ranked by GitHub stars and recent activity. Open any pick for live stats and licence details.
- 1
Ollama
Get up and running with Llama 3.3, DeepSeek-R1, Phi-4, Gemma 3, and other large language models.
AI & LLM ToolsDockerAI-nativeOllama has 182,289 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 1,083 commits in the last year; it replaces ChatGPT.
- 2
Langflow
Visual framework for building and deploying AI agents and RAG workflows.
AI & LLM ToolsDockerAI-nativeLangflow has 155,530 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 2,486 commits in the last year.
- 3
RAGFlow
Open-source RAG engine with deep document understanding.
AI & LLM ToolsDockerAI-nativeRAGFlow has 91,708 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 5,821 commits in the last year.
- 4
OpenHands
Platform for AI software development agents that write code and run commands.
AI & LLM ToolsDockerAI-nativeOpenHands has 90,074 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 3,155 commits in the last year.
- 5
Dify.ai
Build, test and deploy LLM applications.
Source-availableLow-code & BackendDockerAI-nativeDify.ai has 157,921 GitHub stars, is source-available under the Dify Open Source License (modified Apache 2.0) (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 6,112 commits in the last year; it replaces ChatGPT and Lovable.
- 6
Open-WebUI
User-friendly AI Interface, supports Ollama, OpenAI API.
Source-availableAI & LLM ToolsDockerAI-nativeOpen-WebUI has 154,037 GitHub stars, is source-available under the Open WebUI License (BSD-3-Clause plus branding clause) (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 4,746 commits in the last year; it replaces ChatGPT and Lovable.
- 7
ComfyUI
Node-based interface and engine for diffusion image and video generation.
AI & LLM ToolsAI-nativeComfyUI has 136,240 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license and had 2,050 commits in the last year.
- 8
AnythingLLM
All-in-one desktop & Docker AI application with built-in RAG, AI agents, No-code agent builder, MCP compatibility, and more.
AI & LLM ToolsDockerAI-nativeAnythingLLM has 66,738 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 887 commits in the last year; it replaces ChatGPT.
- 9
LocalAI
Run your AI models locally and generate images and audio (alternative to OpenAI and Claude).
AI & LLM ToolsDockerAI-nativeLocalAI has 49,405 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 3,438 commits in the last year; it replaces ChatGPT.
- 10
LobeHub
Modern design AI chat framework supporting multiple AI providers, one click install MCP Marketplace and Artifacts / Thinking.
Source-availableAI & LLM ToolsDockerAI-nativeLobeHub has 83,008 GitHub stars, is source-available under the LobeHub Community License (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 7,488 commits in the last year; it replaces ChatGPT and Lovable.
- 11
SiYuan
A privacy-first personal knowledge management software, written in typescript and golang.
Wikis & Knowledge BasesDockerAI-nativeSiYuan has 46,636 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 8,702 commits in the last year; it replaces Notion and Evernote.
- 12
Paperless-ngx
Scan, index, and archive all of your paper documents with an improved interface (fork of Paperless).
Document ManagementDockerAI-nativePaperless-ngx has 46,308 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,625 commits in the last year.
What are the best open source AI tools you can self-host?
The best open source AI tools you can self-host are Ollama, Langflow and RAGFlow. Ollama leads with 182,289 GitHub stars. Candidates: the AI & LLM Tools category plus any app whose own description or topics mention AI, LLMs, RAG or agents (77 apps).
Is Ollama free?
Yes. Ollama is open-source software released under the MIT license, so you can self-host it at no cost. You only pay for the server it runs on, and some projects also offer an optional paid cloud plan.
Can I self-host these apps with Docker?
Yes, 11 of the 12 picks. Ollama, Langflow and RAGFlow publish Docker images, so you can run them on a VPS or home server with Docker Compose. The others install from their own packages or source; follow each project's install guide.
Are all of these apps open source?
9 of the 12 apps on this list are open source; 3 are source-available. Source-available licenses add conditions, such as limits on hosted or commercial use, so read them before you deploy.
Which of these apps is the most actively developed?
SiYuan, with 8,702 commits in the last 12 months and a latest release, v3.8.6, from September 2026. Activity is a good sign that bugs and security issues get fixed.
The weekly digest
New self-hosted apps, every week
Fresh releases, rising projects and one deploy guide a week. Join home labbers and engineers who self-host.