Dify

Open-source generative AI application...

4.5| Editor Rating

Editor Review

Dify occupies a significant position among open-source LLM app development platforms. The visual workflow orchestrator is the core selling point — designing complex AI processes by dragging and dropping components to chain RAG retrieval, model calls, conditional logic, and tool invocations into complete application logic. The RAG engine supports knowledge base construction from multiple document formats with strong retrieval accuracy among open-source alternatives. The platform offers excellent model compatibility, seamlessly switching from OpenAI to open-source Llama, Qwen, and DeepSeek The cloud Sandbox offers 200 free message credits, with paid plans nth, free for students and educators. With over GitHub Stars and an active community. Best suited for startup teams needing rapid AI prototyping, product managers wanting to build LLM apps without deep coding skills, and enterprise teams needing private RAG system deployment.

AI Tools Navigator Editorial TeamUpdated: 2026-02-03

What is Dify

Dify is an open-source generative AI application development platform for quickly building and deploying LLM-based applications. It supports major models (GPT, Claude, Llama, Qwen, DeepSeek), offering visual workflow orchestration, RAG engine, Prompt IDE, agent customization, and one-click deployment as APIs or chatbots, with no-code and low-code approaches.

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Basic Info

Category:

Best For

DevelopersProduct managersEntrepreneurs

Difficulty: Intermediate

Dify Key Features

Visual Workflow Orchestration
Drag-and-drop interface for designing AI workflows, chaining RAG retrieval, model calls, conditional logic, and tool invocations into complete application logic
RAG Engine
Supports knowledge base construction from multiple document formats with vector retrieval and hybrid retrieval strategies to enhance answer accuracy
Multi-Model Seamless Switching
Compatible with major LLMs including GPT, Claude, Llama, Qwen, DeepSeek, allowing free model switching within the same application
One-Click & Private Deployment
Applications can be deployed as API services or chatbots with one click, with Docker private deployment support for data security

Dify Key Advantages

Visual workflow orchestrator enables drag-and-drop design of complex AI processes, building RAG+model+tool applications with zero code
Compatible with major LLMs (GPT/Claude/Llama/Qwen/DeepSeek), allowing free model switching without rebuilding
Over GitHub Stars with active open-source community, rich plugin ecosystem and rapid updates
Supports Docker private deployment keeping enterprise data on-premises for security compliance

Dify Use Cases

Enterprise Knowledge Base Q&A
Enterprises upload internal documents to build knowledge bases, achieving precise Q&A based on company data through the RAG engine
Rapid AI Application Prototyping
Startup teams use visual workflows to rapidly build AI app prototypes, validate ideas, and deploy with one click
Intelligent Customer Service & Automation
Build AI customer service bots combining knowledge bases and tool calling to automatically handle user inquiries and tickets

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dify free to use?▼

Dify offers two free options: 1) Cloud Sandbox free tier with 200 messages, 5 apps, and 5GB storage; 2) Open-source version is completely free via Docker self-deployment with no feature restrictions. Students and educators can apply for free cloud access.

What AI models does Dify support?▼

Dify supports virtually all major LLMs including OpenAI GPT series, Anthropic Claude, Meta Llama, Alibaba Qwen, DeepSeek, Azure OpenAI, and also supports locally deployed open-source models via Ollama.

What's the difference between Dify and LangChain?▼

Dify is a visual platform with drag-and-drop workflows and GUI, suitable for no-code users; LangChain is a code framework requiring programming skills, offering more flexibility but a steeper learning curve. They can be used together.