Comparison
paper-qa vs quivr
Verdict
Pick paper-qa if paperQA2 version 5 is a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) system optimized for extracting information from scientific documents, enhancing user queries with citations; pick quivr if quivr is an opinionated RAG tool that simplifies GenAI integration into applications, supporting multiple LLMs and vector stores. Its framework allows for customization to fit various product needs.
Markdown twin · paper-qa alternatives · quivr alternatives
GraphCanon updated 2d
Trust & integrity
| Signal | paper-qa | quivr |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (5d since push) As of 2d · github_public_v1 | Dormant (402d since push) As of 4d · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of 2d · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Organization account As of 4d · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of 1mo · osv@v1 | No lockfile (source not queried) As of 1mo · 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
- paper-qa
- High accuracy RAG for answering questions from scientific documents with citations
- quivr
- Opiniated RAG for integrating GenAI in your apps 🧠
Stars
- paper-qa
- 9.0k
- quivr
- 39k
Forks
- paper-qa
- 907
- quivr
- 3.7k
Open issues
- paper-qa
- 141
- quivr
- 36
Language
- paper-qa
- Python
- quivr
- Python
Adopt for
- paper-qa
- PaperQA2 version 5 is a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) system optimized for extracting information from scientific documents, enhancing user queries with citations.
- quivr
- Quivr is an opinionated RAG tool that simplifies GenAI integration into applications, supporting multiple LLMs and vector stores. Its framework allows for customization to fit various product needs.
Persona
- paper-qa
- -
- quivr
- -
Runtime
- paper-qa
- -
- quivr
- -
License
- paper-qa
- 'Apache-2.0' - Permissive free software license that allows for both non-commercial use and commercial exploitation of the package.
- quivr
- Other
Last pushed
- paper-qa
- Aug 12, 2026
- quivr
- Jul 9, 2025
Categories
- paper-qa
- Data & Retrieval, Model Training
- quivr
- AI Agents, Data & Retrieval
Trust and health
Maintenance
- paper-qa
- Very active (96%)
- quivr
- Dormant (18%)
Days since push
- paper-qa
- 5d
- quivr
- 402d
Open issues (now)
- paper-qa
- 141
- quivr
- 36
Stars delta
- paper-qa
- +154 (30d)
- quivr
- +188 (30d)
Open issues delta
- paper-qa
- 0 (30d)
- quivr
- +5 (30d)
Full report
- paper-qa
- Trust report
- quivr
- Trust report
Typed relationship
paper-qa alternative quivrQuivr provides an opiniated RAG framework which could be seen as an alternative approach to PaperQA2, both aiming at integrating generative AI into apps for document interaction.
Shared compatibility
- Python · paper-qa: Python runtime · quivr: Python runtime
Choose paper-qa if…
- License: paper-qa is Apache-2.0, quivr is Other.
- Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM.
- Quivr provides an opiniated RAG framework which could be seen as an alternative approach to PaperQA2, both aiming at integrating generative AI into apps for document interaction.
- Tags unique to paper-qa: rag, science, search.
- Also covers Model Training.
- Your project specifically requires processing and querying scientific documents, as PaperQA2 offers specialized capabilities tuned for this domain.
When NOT to use paper-qa
- If your use case does not involve scientific document processing, another RAG system better suited to your specific type of documents (e.g., legal, medical) might be more fitting.
- In scenarios where real-time performance is critical and extensive indexing or access to external APIs for large-scale paper handling becomes a bottleneck.
Choose quivr if…
- License: quivr is Other, paper-qa is Apache-2.0.
- Pricing: The pricing details for Quivr are currently unshared..
- Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker.
- Quivr provides an opiniated RAG framework which could be seen as an alternative approach to PaperQA2, both aiming at integrating generative AI into apps for document interaction.
- Tags unique to quivr: api, chatbot, framework, vector.
- Also covers AI Agents.
- When you need a straightforward way to integrate GenAI functionalities without deep expertise in the underlying technologies
When NOT to use quivr
- When the need arises for a tool that provides extensive control over every aspect of the RAG setup due to Quivr's opinionated nature
- For organizations that require integration with very niche or non-supported LLMs and vector stores not mentioned in Quivr’s framework
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (Future-House/paper-qa) · observed Aug 18, 2026
- GitHub forks (Future-House/paper-qa) · observed Aug 18, 2026
- Last push (Future-House/paper-qa) · observed Aug 12, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Aug 18, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 12, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub stars (QuivrHQ/quivr) · observed Aug 16, 2026
- GitHub forks (QuivrHQ/quivr) · observed Aug 16, 2026
- Last push (QuivrHQ/quivr) · observed Jul 9, 2025
- License file (Other) · observed Aug 16, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: paper-qa 9.0k · quivr 39k (synced Aug 18, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between paper-qa and quivr?
- paper-qa: High accuracy RAG for answering questions from scientific documents with citations. quivr: Opiniated RAG for integrating GenAI in your apps 🧠. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose paper-qa over quivr?
- Choose paper-qa over quivr when License: paper-qa is Apache-2.0, quivr is Other; Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Quivr provides an opiniated RAG framework which could be seen as an alternative approach to PaperQA2, both aiming at integrating generative AI into apps for document interaction; Tags unique to paper-qa: rag, science, search; Also covers Model Training; Your project specifically requires processing and querying scientific documents, as PaperQA2 offers specialized capabilities tuned for this domain.
- When should I choose quivr over paper-qa?
- Choose quivr over paper-qa when License: quivr is Other, paper-qa is Apache-2.0; Pricing: The pricing details for Quivr are currently unshared.; Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Quivr provides an opiniated RAG framework which could be seen as an alternative approach to PaperQA2, both aiming at integrating generative AI into apps for document interaction; Tags unique to quivr: api, chatbot, framework, vector; Also covers AI Agents; When you need a straightforward way to integrate GenAI functionalities without deep expertise in the underlying technologies.
- When should I avoid paper-qa?
- If your use case does not involve scientific document processing, another RAG system better suited to your specific type of documents (e.g., legal, medical) might be more fitting. In scenarios where real-time performance is critical and extensive indexing or access to external APIs for large-scale paper handling becomes a bottleneck.
- When should I avoid quivr?
- When the need arises for a tool that provides extensive control over every aspect of the RAG setup due to Quivr's opinionated nature For organizations that require integration with very niche or non-supported LLMs and vector stores not mentioned in Quivr’s framework
- Is paper-qa or quivr more popular on GitHub?
- quivr has more GitHub stars (39,401 vs 9,048). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are paper-qa and quivr open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (paper-qa: Apache-2.0, quivr: Other).
- Where can I find alternatives to paper-qa or quivr?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at paper-qa alternatives and quivr alternatives (paper-qa markdown twin, quivr 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, paper-qa or quivr?
- paper-qa: Very active. quivr: Dormant. 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 quivr?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: paper-qa trust report; quivr trust report.