Try Dify — Free & Open-Source
Build and deploy LLM applications with visual workflows, RAG, and agent support. Self-host for free.
Get Started with DifyWhat is Dify?
Dify is an open-source LLM application development platform that provides a visual workflow editor, built-in RAG engine, agent framework, and model management in a single integrated tool. It bridges the gap between code-heavy frameworks like LangChain and pure no-code tools like Gumloop.
Released in 2023, Dify has quickly become one of the most starred LLM platforms on GitHub. By 2026, it supports 30+ LLM providers, 50+ built-in tools, and a rich marketplace of community plugins—making it an exceptionally versatile platform for building production-ready AI applications.
Key Features: 8.4/10
1. Visual Workflow Editor
Dify's canvas-based editor lets you compose complex LLM pipelines visually: prompt templates → LLM calls → tools → conditions → outputs. Unlike pure no-code tools, developers can inject custom code nodes for maximum flexibility.
2. Built-in RAG Engine
Dify includes a full RAG pipeline: document upload, automatic chunking, embedding, vector storage, and retrieval. Connect your knowledge base to any application in minutes without external vector database setup.
3. Agent Mode
Create AI agents equipped with tools—web search, code interpreter, custom APIs—that can plan and execute multi-step tasks autonomously. The agent observability panel shows every reasoning step in real time.
4. Multi-LLM Support
Switch between OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Mistral, Llama, and 25+ other models with one click. Test your app against multiple LLMs without changing any code—a huge advantage for optimizing cost vs. quality.
Pros
- ✓ Visual editor + code nodes — best of both worlds
- ✓ Built-in RAG — no external vector DB setup
- ✓ 30+ LLM providers supported
- ✓ Excellent agent observability
- ✓ Self-hostable for data privacy
- ✓ Growing plugin marketplace
Cons
- ✗ Cloud pricing ($59+/mo) adds up
- ✗ Complex workflows can be hard to debug
- ✗ Less mature ecosystem than LangChain
- ✗ Self-hosting requires Docker setup
Pricing (2026)
| Plan | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Hosted | Free | Full platform, unlimited apps |
| Sandbox | Free | 200 LLM calls, 1 app, 5MB knowledge |
| Professional | $59/month | 5,000 LLM calls, 5 apps, 500MB knowledge |
| Team | $159/month | 10,000 LLM calls, unlimited apps |
| Enterprise | Custom | Dedicated deployment, SLA |
Verdict: Should You Use Dify?
Yes, especially if you want the power of code-based frameworks with the accessibility of a visual editor. Dify's built-in RAG engine alone saves hours of infrastructure setup, and the ability to switch LLMs with one click is invaluable for cost optimization.
Self-host for maximum value — the free tier is fully featured and has no usage limits. For teams that need managed hosting with support, the Professional plan at $59/month is reasonable.
Build Your First LLM App with Dify
Free, open-source, and powerful. Visual workflows, built-in RAG, and 30+ LLM providers.
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