--- title: "mcp-local-rag vs docs" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/shinpr-mcp-local-rag-vs-sismics-docs" tools: ["shinpr-mcp-local-rag", "sismics-docs"] --- # mcp-local-rag vs docs *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict 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; pick docs if docs is a lightweight document management system that offers comprehensive functionalities including OCR and media conversion tools, accessible via Docker. [mcp-local-rag](https://github.com/shinpr/mcp-local-rag) reports 400 GitHub stars, 74 forks, and 2 open issues, last pushed Sep 20, 2026. [docs](https://teedy.io) has 2.6k stars, 686 forks, and 113 open issues, last pushed Aug 17, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [mcp-local-rag's repository](https://github.com/shinpr/mcp-local-rag) and [docs's repository](https://github.com/sismics/docs). | | [mcp-local-rag](/tools/shinpr-mcp-local-rag.md) | [docs](/tools/sismics-docs.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Local-first RAG server for developers with semantic and keyword search capabilities. | Lightweight document management system | | Stars | 400 | 2,565 | | Forks | 74 | 686 | | Open issues | 2 | 113 | | Language | TypeScript | JavaScript | | 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. | docs is a lightweight document management system that offers comprehensive functionalities including OCR and media conversion tools, accessible via Docker. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT | GPL-2.0 | | Categories | Data & Retrieval, Developer Tools | Data & Retrieval, Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [mcp-local-rag](/tools/shinpr-mcp-local-rag.md) | [docs](/tools/sismics-docs.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Active (82%) | | Days since push | 0d | 29d | | Open issues (now) | 2 | 113 | | Stars delta | +48 (30d) | +8 (30d) | | Open issues delta | -2 (30d) | -1 (30d) | | Owner type | User | Organization | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/shinpr-mcp-local-rag/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/sismics-docs/trust.md) | ## 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. ## Decision facts: docs - **Requirements:** Requires Docker; Requires Java 11, Tesseract 4 for OCR, ffmpeg for video thumbnails, mediainfo for video metadata extraction. - **Adopt for:** docs is a lightweight document management system that offers comprehensive functionalities including OCR and media conversion tools, accessible via Docker. ## Choose when ### Choose mcp-local-rag if… - mcp-local-rag is primarily TypeScript; docs is JavaScript. - License: mcp-local-rag is MIT, docs is GPL-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. ### Choose docs if… - docs is primarily JavaScript; mcp-local-rag is TypeScript. - License: docs is GPL-2.0, mcp-local-rag is MIT. - 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. - docs ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - 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 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. ## 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. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between mcp-local-rag and docs? mcp-local-rag: Local-first RAG server for developers with semantic and keyword search capabilities.. docs: Lightweight document management system. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose mcp-local-rag over docs? Choose mcp-local-rag over docs when mcp-local-rag is primarily TypeScript; docs is JavaScript; License: mcp-local-rag is MIT, docs is GPL-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 choose docs over mcp-local-rag? Choose docs over mcp-local-rag when docs is primarily JavaScript; mcp-local-rag is TypeScript; License: docs is GPL-2.0, mcp-local-rag is MIT; 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; docs ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; 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 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. ### 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 mcp-local-rag or docs more popular on GitHub? docs has more GitHub stars (2,565 vs 400). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are mcp-local-rag and docs open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (mcp-local-rag: MIT, docs: GPL-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to mcp-local-rag or docs? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [mcp-local-rag alternatives](/tools/shinpr-mcp-local-rag/alternatives) and [docs alternatives](/tools/sismics-docs/alternatives) ([mcp-local-rag markdown twin](/tools/shinpr-mcp-local-rag/alternatives.md), [docs markdown twin](/tools/sismics-docs/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/shinpr-mcp-local-rag-vs-sismics-docs.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, mcp-local-rag or docs? mcp-local-rag: Very active. 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 mcp-local-rag and docs? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [mcp-local-rag trust report](/tools/shinpr-mcp-local-rag/trust); [docs trust report](/tools/sismics-docs/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=shinpr-mcp-local-rag`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=shinpr-mcp-local-rag) - 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/_