MaxKB vs ragtime
Self-hosted knowledge assistants and RAG services compared
MaxKB and ragtime both let teams self-host systems that connect language models with knowledge sources and tools. MaxKB is a broader agent-building platform with workflows and business-system integration, while ragtime centers on an OpenAI-compatible RAG API, MCP server, and built-in chat UI for existing clients.
MaxKB: Build and Run Enterprise AI Agents
MaxKB is a self-hostable platform for building AI agents that use company knowledge, workflows, and external tools. It suits teams that want to add model-backed question answering to internal or customer-facing systems.
ragtime: Self-Host a RAG API and MCP Server
Ragtime connects local knowledge and tools to LLM clients through a self-hosted, OpenAI-compatible RAG API, MCP server, and built-in chat UI. It supports FAISS and PostgreSQL pgvector indexes, plus hosted and local model providers.
| MaxKB | ragtime | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Python | Python |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Stars | 22.9k | 34 |
| Forks | 3.2k | 10 |
| Last analyzed | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 16, 2026 |
Key differences
- MaxKB combines document and online-content ingestion, RAG, agent workflows, and MCP tool use; ragtime emphasizes indexed files and repositories exposed through an API and MCP server.
- MaxKB supports public and private model providers and text, image, audio, and video input and output; ragtime lists hosted and local model providers and focuses on RAG and tool access for compatible clients.
- MaxKB uses PostgreSQL with pgvector; ragtime offers FAISS or PostgreSQL pgvector for indexes, with schema and PDM indexes using pgvector.
- MaxKB is licensed under GPL-3.0, while ragtime is licensed under MIT.
- MaxKB reports 22.9k stars and 3.2k forks; ragtime reports 34 stars and 10 forks, and its project notes a small, concentrated contributor base as a production maintenance consideration.
- MaxKB documents a Vue.js, Django, LangChain, PostgreSQL, and pgvector stack; ragtime recommends a multi-service Docker Compose deployment that includes PostgreSQL with pgvector, a runtime service, and SearXNG.
Choose MaxKB if you…
- need a platform for building knowledge-based agents with workflows and business-system integration.
- want to handle text, image, audio, and video input and output in addition to knowledge-based question answering.
- prefer a project with a larger reported star and fork count, and can evaluate its GPL-3.0 terms.
Choose ragtime if you…
- want an OpenAI-compatible RAG API and MCP server for existing clients such as IDE assistants.
- need FAISS as an option alongside PostgreSQL pgvector for indexes.
- want to connect local model runtimes and configured tools, and can manage the recommended multi-service deployment and security boundaries.
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This comparison is generated with AI from the OSRepos analyses of both projects. Always check each project's repository and documentation before choosing.