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
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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
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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.