Home/Compare/kotaemon vs docs

Comparison

kotaemon vs docs

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 docs if docs is a lightweight document management system that offers comprehensive functionalities including OCR and media conversion tools, accessible via Docker.

Markdown twin · kotaemon alternatives · docs alternatives

GraphCanon updated Sep 19, 2026

14views this month

kotaemon logo

kotaemon

Cinnamon/kotaemon

26kpushed Jul 14, 2026
vs
docs logo

docs

sismics/docs

2.6kpushed Aug 17, 2026

Trust & integrity

Signalkotaemondocs
Maintenance
Steady (34d since push)
As of Aug 18, 2026 · github_public_v1
Active (29d since push)
As of Sep 16, 2026 · github_public_v1
Provenance
Not a fork · Organization account
As of Aug 18, 2026 · github_public_v1
Not a fork · Organization account
As of Sep 16, 2026 · github_public_v1
OSV dependency advisories
No lockfile (source not queried)
As of Jul 11, 2026 · osv@v1
No lockfile (source not queried)
As of Jul 15, 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

kotaemon
An open-source RAG-based tool for chatting with your documents.
docs
Lightweight document management system

Stars

kotaemon
26k
docs
2.6k

Forks

kotaemon
2.1k
docs
686

Open issues

kotaemon
241
docs
113

Language

kotaemon
Python
docs
JavaScript

Adopt for

kotaemon
Cinnamon's kotaemon is an open-source Retrieval-Augmented Generation-based chat tool that facilitates document interaction through a user-friendly chat interface.
docs
docs is a lightweight document management system that offers comprehensive functionalities including OCR and media conversion tools, accessible via Docker.

Persona

kotaemon
-
docs
-

Runtime

kotaemon
-
docs
-

License

kotaemon
Apache-2.0
docs
GPL-2.0

Last pushed

kotaemon
Jul 14, 2026
docs
Aug 17, 2026

Categories

kotaemon
Data & Retrieval, Developer Tools
docs
Data & Retrieval, Developer Tools

Trust and health

Maintenance

kotaemon
Steady (60%)
docs
Active (82%)

Days since push

kotaemon
34d
docs
29d

Open issues (now)

kotaemon
241
docs
113

Stars delta

kotaemon
+138 (30d)
docs
+8 (30d)

Open issues delta

kotaemon
+4 (30d)
docs
-1 (30d)

Full report

kotaemon
Trust report

Choose kotaemon if…

  • kotaemon is primarily Python; docs is JavaScript.
  • License: kotaemon is Apache-2.0, docs is GPL-2.0.
  • Tags unique to kotaemon: chatbot, llms, open-source, rag.
  • 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 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.

Choose docs if…

  • docs is primarily JavaScript; kotaemon is Python.
  • License: docs is GPL-2.0, kotaemon is Apache-2.0.
  • Requirements: Requires Docker; Requires Java 11, Tesseract 4 for OCR, ffmpeg for video thumbnails, mediainfo for video metadata extraction..
  • Tags unique to docs: cloud, dms, docker, document.
  • Use docs when you require an open-source solution with the capabilities of high-end document management systems but prefer something lightweight.

When NOT to use docs

  • Do not use docs in environments where strict security protocols are necessary, as default configurations like the 'admin' password must be changed manually before production.
  • Avoid this tool if your document management needs can't tolerate occasional instability during development or when you need a highly reliable and stable environment throughout.

Explore

Sources

Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.

GitHub stars on cards: kotaemon 26k · docs 2.6k (synced Sep 19, 2026).

Common questions

What is the difference between kotaemon and docs?
kotaemon: An open-source RAG-based tool for chatting with your documents.. docs: Lightweight document management system. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
When should I choose kotaemon over docs?
Choose kotaemon over docs when kotaemon is primarily Python; docs is JavaScript; License: kotaemon is Apache-2.0, docs is GPL-2.0; Tags unique to kotaemon: chatbot, llms, open-source, rag; 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 docs over kotaemon?
Choose docs over kotaemon when docs is primarily JavaScript; kotaemon is Python; License: docs is GPL-2.0, kotaemon is Apache-2.0; Requirements: Requires Docker; Requires Java 11, Tesseract 4 for OCR, ffmpeg for video thumbnails, mediainfo for video metadata extraction.; Tags unique to docs: cloud, dms, docker, document; Use docs when you require an open-source solution with the capabilities of high-end document management systems but prefer something lightweight.
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 docs?
Do not use docs in environments where strict security protocols are necessary, as default configurations like the 'admin' password must be changed manually before production. Avoid this tool if your document management needs can't tolerate occasional instability during development or when you need a highly reliable and stable environment throughout.
Is kotaemon or docs more popular on GitHub?
kotaemon has more GitHub stars (25,701 vs 2,565). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
Are kotaemon and docs open source?
Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (kotaemon: Apache-2.0, docs: GPL-2.0).
Where can I find alternatives to kotaemon or docs?
GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at kotaemon alternatives and docs alternatives (kotaemon markdown twin, docs 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, kotaemon or docs?
kotaemon: Steady. docs: 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 docs?
GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: kotaemon trust report; docs trust report.

Was this helpful?

Anonymous feedback helps us improve pages and translations.