--- title: "kotaemon vs mcp-local-rag" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/cinnamon-kotaemon-vs-shinpr-mcp-local-rag" tools: ["cinnamon-kotaemon", "shinpr-mcp-local-rag"] --- # kotaemon vs mcp-local-rag *GraphCanon updated Aug 18, 2026* ## Verdict Pick kotaemon if cinnamon's kotaemon is an open-source Retrieval-Augmented Generation-based chat tool that facilitates document interaction through a user-friendly chat interface; pick mcp-local-rag if mcp-local-rag is designed for developers who prioritize privacy and ease of setup when performing semantic and keyword searches on local codebases and technical documents through MCP or CLI integration. [kotaemon](https://cinnamon.github.io/kotaemon/) reports 26k GitHub stars, 2.1k forks, and 241 open issues, last pushed Jul 14, 2026. [mcp-local-rag](https://github.com/shinpr/mcp-local-rag) has 352 stars, 68 forks, and 4 open issues, last pushed Jul 11, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [kotaemon's repository](https://github.com/Cinnamon/kotaemon) and [mcp-local-rag's repository](https://github.com/shinpr/mcp-local-rag). | | [kotaemon](/tools/cinnamon-kotaemon.md) | [mcp-local-rag](/tools/shinpr-mcp-local-rag.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | An open-source RAG-based tool for chatting with your documents. | Local-first RAG server for developers with semantic and keyword search capabilities. | | Stars | 25,701 | 352 | | Forks | 2,141 | 68 | | Open issues | 241 | 4 | | Language | Python | TypeScript | | Adopt for | Cinnamon's kotaemon is an open-source Retrieval-Augmented Generation-based chat tool that facilitates document interaction through a user-friendly chat interface. | mcp-local-rag is designed for developers who prioritize privacy and ease of setup when performing semantic and keyword searches on local codebases and technical documents through MCP or CLI integration. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Apache-2.0 | MIT | | Categories | Data & Retrieval, Developer Tools | Data & Retrieval, Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [kotaemon](/tools/cinnamon-kotaemon.md) | [mcp-local-rag](/tools/shinpr-mcp-local-rag.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Steady (60%) | Active (82%) | | Days since push | 34d | 12d | | Open issues (now) | 241 | 4 | | Stars delta | +138 (30d) | Unknown | | Open issues delta | +4 (30d) | Unknown | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/cinnamon-kotaemon/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/shinpr-mcp-local-rag/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Python**: [kotaemon](/tools/cinnamon-kotaemon.md) - Python runtime; [mcp-local-rag](/tools/shinpr-mcp-local-rag.md) - Python runtime ## Decision facts: kotaemon - **Adopt for:** Cinnamon's kotaemon is an open-source Retrieval-Augmented Generation-based chat tool that facilitates document interaction through a user-friendly chat interface. ## Decision facts: mcp-local-rag - **Adopt for:** mcp-local-rag is designed for developers who prioritize privacy and ease of setup when performing semantic and keyword searches on local codebases and technical documents through MCP or CLI integration. ## Choose when ### Choose kotaemon if… - kotaemon is primarily Python; mcp-local-rag is TypeScript. - License: kotaemon is Apache-2.0, mcp-local-rag is MIT. - Tags unique to kotaemon: chatbot, llms, open-source, rag. - kotaemon ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - When you need to customize the file types you can process beyond PDFs, HTML, MHTML, and XLSX by opting for the `full` Docker version which includes additional packages from 'unstructured'. ### Choose mcp-local-rag if… - mcp-local-rag is primarily TypeScript; kotaemon is Python. - License: mcp-local-rag is MIT, kotaemon is Apache-2.0. - Tags unique to mcp-local-rag: agent-skills, hybrid-search, local-first, privacy-first. - mcp-local-rag ships an MCP server manifest. - When you need to perform both semantic and keyword-based search operations within a local, privacy-focused environment tailored specifically for handling codebases and technical documentation. ## When NOT to use kotaemon - If you only need to process a limited set of file types (PDF, HTML, MHTML, XLSX) and prefer the smaller Docker image size, as the `lite` version lacks additional package dependencies. - In environments with strict constraints on external dependencies where installing Docker or Python packages is not feasible. ## When NOT to use mcp-local-rag - When you do not require a privacy-first approach and are willing to rely on cloud-based solutions that might offer more extensive feature sets beyond just keyword and semantic searches. - If your use case involves scaling search capabilities across multiple remote databases or servers, as mcp-local-rag is best suited for local data only. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between kotaemon and mcp-local-rag? kotaemon: An open-source RAG-based tool for chatting with your documents.. mcp-local-rag: Local-first RAG server for developers with semantic and keyword search capabilities.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose kotaemon over mcp-local-rag? Choose kotaemon over mcp-local-rag when kotaemon is primarily Python; mcp-local-rag is TypeScript; License: kotaemon is Apache-2.0, mcp-local-rag is MIT; Tags unique to kotaemon: chatbot, llms, open-source, rag; kotaemon ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When you need to customize the file types you can process beyond PDFs, HTML, MHTML, and XLSX by opting for the `full` Docker version which includes additional packages from 'unstructured'. ### When should I choose mcp-local-rag over kotaemon? Choose mcp-local-rag over kotaemon when mcp-local-rag is primarily TypeScript; kotaemon is Python; License: mcp-local-rag is MIT, kotaemon is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to mcp-local-rag: agent-skills, hybrid-search, local-first, privacy-first; mcp-local-rag ships an MCP server manifest; When you need to perform both semantic and keyword-based search operations within a local, privacy-focused environment tailored specifically for handling codebases and technical documentation. ### When should I avoid kotaemon? If you only need to process a limited set of file types (PDF, HTML, MHTML, XLSX) and prefer the smaller Docker image size, as the `lite` version lacks additional package dependencies. In environments with strict constraints on external dependencies where installing Docker or Python packages is not feasible. ### When should I avoid mcp-local-rag? When you do not require a privacy-first approach and are willing to rely on cloud-based solutions that might offer more extensive feature sets beyond just keyword and semantic searches. If your use case involves scaling search capabilities across multiple remote databases or servers, as mcp-local-rag is best suited for local data only. ### Is kotaemon or mcp-local-rag more popular on GitHub? kotaemon has more GitHub stars (25,701 vs 352). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are kotaemon and mcp-local-rag open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (kotaemon: Apache-2.0, mcp-local-rag: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to kotaemon or mcp-local-rag? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [kotaemon alternatives](/tools/cinnamon-kotaemon/alternatives) and [mcp-local-rag alternatives](/tools/shinpr-mcp-local-rag/alternatives) ([kotaemon markdown twin](/tools/cinnamon-kotaemon/alternatives.md), [mcp-local-rag markdown twin](/tools/shinpr-mcp-local-rag/alternatives.md)), 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](/compare/cinnamon-kotaemon-vs-shinpr-mcp-local-rag.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, kotaemon or mcp-local-rag? kotaemon: Steady. mcp-local-rag: 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 kotaemon and mcp-local-rag? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [kotaemon trust report](/tools/cinnamon-kotaemon/trust); [mcp-local-rag trust report](/tools/shinpr-mcp-local-rag/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=cinnamon-kotaemon`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=cinnamon-kotaemon) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_