Home/Compare/paper-qa vs graphrag

Comparison

paper-qa vs graphrag

paper-qa (High accuracy RAG for answering questions from scientific documents with citations) vs graphrag (A modular graph-based Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) system) - live GitHub stats and typed graph relationships, not marketing.

Markdown twin · paper-qa alternatives · graphrag alternatives

GraphCanon updated today

paper-qa

Future-House/paper-qa

8.8kpushed Jun 29, 2026
vs

graphrag

microsoft/graphrag

34kpushed Jun 22, 2026

Tagline

paper-qa
High accuracy RAG for answering questions from scientific documents with citations
graphrag
A modular graph-based Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) system

Stars

paper-qa
8.8k
graphrag
34k

Forks

paper-qa
887
graphrag
3.6k

Open issues

paper-qa
140
graphrag
158

Language

paper-qa
Python
graphrag
Python

Adopt for

paper-qa
PaperQA2 is a specialized high-accuracy RAG tool for answering questions from scientific documents with citations.
graphrag
GraphRAG offers a specialized graph-based approach to Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) using the power of Large Language Models (LLMs) for enhancing unstructured data transformation and reasoning over private data.

Persona

paper-qa
-
graphrag
-

Runtime

paper-qa
-
graphrag
-

License

paper-qa
Apache-2.0 - The software can be used for any purpose, including commercial purposes, and modified to comply with the Apache License terms.
graphrag
MIT

Last pushed

paper-qa
Jun 29, 2026
graphrag
Jun 22, 2026

Categories

paper-qa
Data & Retrieval
graphrag
Model Training, Data & Retrieval

Trust and health

Days since push

paper-qa
9d
graphrag
16d

Open issues (now)

paper-qa
140
graphrag
158

Security scan

paper-qa
Not scanned
graphrag
No lockfile

Full report

paper-qa
Trust report
graphrag
Trust report

Typed relationship

paper-qa alternative graphragPaperQA2 and GraphRAG both serve as modular systems for RAG, focusing on retrieval from structured sources to enhance machine learning models.

Choose paper-qa if…

  • License: paper-qa is Apache-2.0, graphrag is MIT.
  • Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Supports multiple document types like PDFs, text files, Microsoft Office documents, and source code.; Requires a setup for various document indexing and handling..
  • PaperQA2 and GraphRAG both serve as modular systems for RAG, focusing on retrieval from structured sources to enhance machine learning models.
  • Tags unique to paper-qa: science, search, ai.
  • - You require precise and high-quality responses from scientific literature.

When NOT to use paper-qa

  • - You are working in a domain beyond scientific literature where the emphasis on accuracy for scientific tasks is less critical.
  • - If you need features not covered by PaperQA2 such as real-time data retrieval or analysis from non-scientific documents, look elsewhere.
  • - For users who require open-source options and prefer licenses other than Apache-2.0.

Choose graphrag if…

  • License: graphrag is MIT, paper-qa is Apache-2.0.
  • PaperQA2 and GraphRAG both serve as modular systems for RAG, focusing on retrieval from structured sources to enhance machine learning models.
  • Tags unique to graphrag: llm, gpt-4, gpt, graph-based rag system.
  • Also covers Model Training.
  • - When you need to extract structured information from narrative or private data using LLMs and require a modular, graph-based system. - For projects that involve handling sensitive datasets where the

When NOT to use graphrag

  • - Avoid GraphRAG if your project requires minimal setup and cost since GraphRAG's indexing process can be resource-intensive.
  • - Not recommended for scenarios with extremely large datasets or when low latency is critical as this tool may pose significant computational demands.

Explore

Related comparisons

Common questions

What is the difference between paper-qa and graphrag?
paper-qa: High accuracy RAG for answering questions from scientific documents with citations. graphrag: A modular graph-based Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) system. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
When should I choose paper-qa over graphrag?
Choose paper-qa over graphrag when License: paper-qa is Apache-2.0, graphrag is MIT; Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Supports multiple document types like PDFs, text files, Microsoft Office documents, and source code.; Requires a setup for various document indexing and handling.; PaperQA2 and GraphRAG both serve as modular systems for RAG, focusing on retrieval from structured sources to enhance machine learning models; Tags unique to paper-qa: science, search, ai; - You require precise and high-quality responses from scientific literature.
When should I choose graphrag over paper-qa?
Choose graphrag over paper-qa when License: graphrag is MIT, paper-qa is Apache-2.0; PaperQA2 and GraphRAG both serve as modular systems for RAG, focusing on retrieval from structured sources to enhance machine learning models; Tags unique to graphrag: llm, gpt-4, gpt, graph-based rag system; Also covers Model Training; - When you need to extract structured information from narrative or private data using LLMs and require a modular, graph-based system. - For projects that involve handling sensitive datasets where the.
When should I avoid paper-qa?
- You are working in a domain beyond scientific literature where the emphasis on accuracy for scientific tasks is less critical. - If you need features not covered by PaperQA2 such as real-time data retrieval or analysis from non-scientific documents, look elsewhere. - For users who require open-source options and prefer licenses other than Apache-2.0.
When should I avoid graphrag?
- Avoid GraphRAG if your project requires minimal setup and cost since GraphRAG's indexing process can be resource-intensive. - Not recommended for scenarios with extremely large datasets or when low latency is critical as this tool may pose significant computational demands.
Is paper-qa or graphrag more popular on GitHub?
graphrag has more GitHub stars (34,249 vs 8,837). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
Are paper-qa and graphrag open source?
Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (paper-qa: Apache-2.0, graphrag: MIT).
Where can I find alternatives to paper-qa or graphrag?
GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at /tools/future-house-paper-qa/alternatives and /tools/microsoft-graphrag/alternatives (/tools/future-house-paper-qa/alternatives.md, /tools/microsoft-graphrag/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 /compare/future-house-paper-qa-vs-microsoft-graphrag.md mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.
Which is better maintained, paper-qa or graphrag?
paper-qa: Active. graphrag: 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 paper-qa and graphrag?
GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: paper-qa: /tools/future-house-paper-qa/trust; graphrag: /tools/microsoft-graphrag/trust.

Command menu

Search tools or jump to a page