Comparison
airweave vs ragflow
Verdict
Pick airweave if airweave is an open-source context retrieval layer for AI agents, emphasizing integration and data connectors for retrieval-augmented generation; pick ragflow if rAGFlow is an open-source RAG engine that integrates agent capabilities to enhance context management for LLMs, built in Go under the Apache-2.0 license.
Markdown twin · airweave alternatives · ragflow alternatives
GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026
19views this month
Trust & integrity
| Signal | airweave | ragflow |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Archived (104d since push) As of Sep 18, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Very active (0d since push) As of Sep 18, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of Sep 18, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Organization account As of Sep 18, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of Sep 18, 2026 · osv@v1 | Published findings As of Sep 18, 2026 · osv@v1 |
| deps.dev advisories | Not queried deps.dev@v1 | Not queried deps.dev@v1 |
| OpenSSF Scorecard | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 |
Tagline
- airweave
- Open-source context retrieval layer for AI agents
- ragflow
- Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) engine with agent capabilities
Stars
- airweave
- 6.6k
- ragflow
- 91k
Forks
- airweave
- 819
- ragflow
- 11k
Open issues
- airweave
- 105
- ragflow
- 1.4k
Language
- airweave
- Python
- ragflow
- Go
Adopt for
- airweave
- Airweave is an open-source context retrieval layer for AI agents, emphasizing integration and data connectors for retrieval-augmented generation.
- ragflow
- RAGFlow is an open-source RAG engine that integrates agent capabilities to enhance context management for LLMs, built in Go under the Apache-2.0 license.
Persona
- airweave
- -
- ragflow
- -
Runtime
- airweave
- -
- ragflow
- -
License
- airweave
- MIT License
- ragflow
- Apache-2.0
Last pushed
- airweave
- Jun 5, 2026
- ragflow
- Sep 18, 2026
Categories
- airweave
- AI Agents, Data & Retrieval
- ragflow
- AI Agents, Data & Retrieval
Trust and health
Maintenance
- airweave
- Archived (8%)
- ragflow
- Very active (96%)
Days since push
- airweave
- 104d
- ragflow
- 0d
Archived on GitHub
- airweave
- Yes
- ragflow
- No
Open issues (now)
- airweave
- 105
- ragflow
- 1.4k
Stars delta
- airweave
- +5 (30d)
- ragflow
- +4.4k (30d)
Open issues delta
- airweave
- -14 (30d)
- ragflow
- -553 (30d)
OSV dependency advisories
- airweave
- No lockfile (source not queried)
- ragflow
- Published findings
Full report
- airweave
- Trust report
- ragflow
- Trust report
Typed relationship
Choose airweave if…
- airweave is primarily Python; ragflow is Go.
- License: airweave is MIT, ragflow is Apache-2.0.
- Requirements: Requires Python for development and deployment..
- Both Airweave and RAGFlow focus on retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) for context management in AI agents, but they offer different solutions and implementations.
- Tags unique to airweave: agent-infrastructure, ai-infrastructure, context-retrieval, data-connectors.
- When you need a retrieval-augmented generation layer that integrates seamlessly with various data sources and connectors.
When NOT to use airweave
- If your project does not require integration with multiple data sources or connectors, as Airweave's strength lies in its extensive integration capabilities.
- When you are looking for a tool that focuses solely on the development of AI agents without the retrieval-augmented generation aspect.
Choose ragflow if…
- ragflow is primarily Go; airweave is Python.
- License: ragflow is Apache-2.0, airweave is MIT.
- Both Airweave and RAGFlow focus on retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) for context management in AI agents, but they offer different solutions and implementations.
- Tags unique to ragflow: agent-harness, agentic-ai, agentic-retrieval, agentic-search.
- ragflow ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment.
- When you need an open-source RAG engine that can integrate with external LLM and embedding services to enhance context management.
When NOT to use ragflow
- If your project does not require integration with external LLM and embedding services, as RAGFlow relies on these services.
- If you are looking for a lightweight solution, as RAGFlow's Docker image is approximately 2 GB in size.
- When you prefer tools that do not require building a Docker image, as RAGFlow's setup involves creating a Docker image.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (airweave-ai/airweave) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (airweave-ai/airweave) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Last push (airweave-ai/airweave) · observed Jun 5, 2026
- License file (MIT) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Sep 18, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Sep 18, 2026
- GitHub stars (infiniflow/ragflow) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (infiniflow/ragflow) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Last push (infiniflow/ragflow) · observed Sep 18, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Sep 18, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Sep 18, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: airweave 6.6k · ragflow 91k (synced Sep 20, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between airweave and ragflow?
- airweave: Open-source context retrieval layer for AI agents. ragflow: Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) engine with agent capabilities. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose airweave over ragflow?
- Choose airweave over ragflow when airweave is primarily Python; ragflow is Go; License: airweave is MIT, ragflow is Apache-2.0; Requirements: Requires Python for development and deployment.; Both Airweave and RAGFlow focus on retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) for context management in AI agents, but they offer different solutions and implementations; Tags unique to airweave: agent-infrastructure, ai-infrastructure, context-retrieval, data-connectors; When you need a retrieval-augmented generation layer that integrates seamlessly with various data sources and connectors.
- When should I choose ragflow over airweave?
- Choose ragflow over airweave when ragflow is primarily Go; airweave is Python; License: ragflow is Apache-2.0, airweave is MIT; Both Airweave and RAGFlow focus on retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) for context management in AI agents, but they offer different solutions and implementations; Tags unique to ragflow: agent-harness, agentic-ai, agentic-retrieval, agentic-search; ragflow ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When you need an open-source RAG engine that can integrate with external LLM and embedding services to enhance context management.
- When should I avoid airweave?
- If your project does not require integration with multiple data sources or connectors, as Airweave's strength lies in its extensive integration capabilities. When you are looking for a tool that focuses solely on the development of AI agents without the retrieval-augmented generation aspect.
- When should I avoid ragflow?
- If your project does not require integration with external LLM and embedding services, as RAGFlow relies on these services. If you are looking for a lightweight solution, as RAGFlow's Docker image is approximately 2 GB in size. When you prefer tools that do not require building a Docker image, as RAGFlow's setup involves creating a Docker image.
- Is airweave or ragflow more popular on GitHub?
- ragflow has more GitHub stars (90,923 vs 6,563). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are airweave and ragflow open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (airweave: MIT, ragflow: Apache-2.0).
- Where can I find alternatives to airweave or ragflow?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at airweave alternatives and ragflow alternatives (airweave markdown twin, ragflow markdown twin), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes.
- Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison?
- Yes. The markdown twin at this comparison mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.
- Which is better maintained, airweave or ragflow?
- airweave: Archived. ragflow: Very active. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance.
- Where are the full trust reports for airweave and ragflow?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: airweave trust report; ragflow trust report.