Developed by Dify.AI, Dify is a no-code/low-code platform for building AI applications. On a visual canvas you can assemble LLM-powered workflows, combine RAG (document retrieval) for internal knowledge, function-calling agents, and 50+ built-in tools to build chatbots and business automation apps at production quality. Since its release in May 2023, it has grown rapidly as an open-source project, surpassing 100,000 GitHub stars. Both a cloud version and a self-hosted version (Community Edition) are available, and support for dozens of model providers you can switch between is another defining feature.
Key Features
- Visual workflows: On a drag-and-drop canvas, connect nodes such as LLM calls, conditional branches, code execution, and HTTP requests to design complex processing flows without code
- Built-in RAG pipeline: Ingest documents such as PDFs and web pages, and configure everything from chunking to vector search and reranking in the admin UI. Q&A bots grounded in internal knowledge can be built quickly
- Agents and MCP support: In addition to function-calling agents, an Agent node performs autonomous reasoning and tool selection inside workflows. Dify can also connect to external tools as an MCP (Model Context Protocol) client
- Multi-model support: Works with dozens of model providers including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. Swap models by use case and cost, making it easier to avoid vendor lock-in
- LLMOps and API integration: Provides continuous improvement through conversation log monitoring and annotation (LLMOps), plus the ability to embed the apps you build into existing systems via API as a Backend-as-a-Service
- Open source and self-hostable: Released under a license based on Apache 2.0 with additional proprietary conditions. Deploy it on your own servers with Docker to keep data in-house
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Sandbox | Free | 200 message credits, 5 apps, 50 knowledge documents, 1 member |
| Professional | $590/year (monthly billing available) | 5,000 message credits/month, 50 apps, 500 knowledge documents, 3 members |
| Team | $1,590/year (monthly billing available) | 10,000 message credits/month, 200 apps, 1,000 knowledge documents, 50 members |
| Community Edition | Free (self-hosted) | Core features released as open source. Single workspace |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | SSO, advanced security, dedicated support, large-scale deployment |
Pricing information is as of August 2026. Please check the official site for the latest pricing.
Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Even with limited programming experience, you can build production-grade AI apps entirely through the GUI
- RAG, agents, workflows, and log monitoring are all in one platform, so there is little need to stitch tools together
- Self-hosting is free and makes it easier to keep confidential data inside your organization
- Because model providers are handled uniformly, switching to new models is easy
- An active open-source community delivers fast updates and plugin additions
⚠️ Cons
- With so many features, the learning cost is not zero — tuning RAG, for example, requires some knowledge
- The cloud version’s message-credit system may push heavy users toward higher plans or their own API keys
- The self-hosted version requires you to handle version upgrades and infrastructure management yourself
- The license is not plain Apache 2.0 but includes additional conditions, so commercial redistribution or multi-tenant offerings require a license review
Comparison with Similar Services
| Criteria | Dify | Flowise | n8n | Coze |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main use | General LLM apps (RAG/agents/workflows) | LLM flow building | General workflow automation + AI | Chatbot building |
| Open source | Yes (with extra conditions) | Yes | Yes (fair-code) | No |
| RAG features | Rich, built-in | Available | Via nodes | Available |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Target users | Non-engineers to developers | Developer-leaning | Automation specialists | Beginners to marketers |
Who Is It For
- Companies that want to build Q&A bots or RAG apps on internal knowledge without mobilizing a large development team
- Developers who want to grow AI apps from prototype to production on the same foundation
- Teams handling confidential data who need a self-hostable LLM app platform
- Anyone who wants to compare and switch between multiple LLMs to find the right model mix for their organization
Summary
Dify is a platform that delivers the full set of parts needed for LLM app development — RAG, agents, workflows, and LLMOps — through visual operation. Its strength lies in combining the accessibility of a no-code starting point with the extensibility for serious production use via API integration and self-hosting. If you are considering bringing AI app development in-house, the free Sandbox or Community Edition is well worth a try.