kotaemon vs graphrag
Document question-answering with RAG, compared
kotaemon and graphrag are Python projects for asking questions about documents through a web interface using retrieval-augmented generation. kotaemon focuses on customizable document QA pipelines, while graphrag builds on TigerGraph to combine graph queries and vector retrieval.
kotaemon: Chat with Documents Using RAG
kotaemon is a customizable web interface and toolkit for asking questions about documents with retrieval-augmented generation. It suits teams that want a self-hosted document QA app or developers building and adapting RAG pipelines.
graphrag: Build Graph-Powered AI Search and Chat
TigerGraph GraphRAG builds a knowledge graph from documents and combines graph queries with vector retrieval to answer natural-language questions. It suits teams already using TigerGraph that want a self-hosted, configurable RAG application.
| kotaemon | graphrag | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Python | Python |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Stars | 25.8k | 23 |
| Forks | 2.2k | 23 |
| Last analyzed | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
Key differences
- kotaemon offers hybrid full-text and vector retrieval with reranking; graphrag combines vector search with graph traversal and graph queries.
- kotaemon supports local and hosted model setups; graphrag supports multiple LLM providers but requires TigerGraph for its graph and vector database.
- kotaemon provides a Gradio chat interface with citations and an in-browser PDF viewer; graphrag includes a chat interface, backend APIs, and an admin UI for graph and ingestion workflows.
- kotaemon is licensed under Apache-2.0; graphrag is licensed under AGPL-3.0, which should be reviewed for the intended deployment and distribution model.
- kotaemon requires Python 3.10 or newer for non-Docker installation; graphrag requires TigerGraph 4.2 or later and Docker Compose or Kubernetes.
- kotaemon has 25.8k stars and 2.2k forks; graphrag has 23 stars and 23 forks. These figures describe repository activity, not feature quality.
Choose kotaemon if you…
- need a self-hosted document QA app with citations and an in-browser PDF viewer.
- want to customize indexing, retrieval, reasoning pipelines, or the interface.
- need to choose between supported hosted providers and local model backends.
Choose graphrag if you…
- already use TigerGraph and want questions answered from graph data as well as documents.
- need graph construction with configurable chunking, entity extraction, and community detection.
- want to explore planned or reactive agentic retrieval, including connections to MCP tools.
This comparison is generated with AI from the OSRepos analyses of both projects. Always check each project's repository and documentation before choosing.