# AnythingLLM vs Dify vs Kortix: which open-source tool fits your job?

> AnythingLLM is a workspace for chatting with your documents. Dify is a platform for building and shipping AI apps. Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System: the one we recommend when agents need to do the work across a whole company.

URL: https://anythingllm-alternative.com/anythingllm-vs-dify

## AnythingLLM vs Dify vs Kortix, by the job

One is a document-chat workspace, one is an app-building platform, and one is where agents do the work across a company.

| | Kortix (recommended) | AnythingLLM | Dify |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| What it is | The open-source AI Operating System | An all-in-one app for chatting with your documents, with agents | A platform for building agentic workflows, RAG pipelines and AI apps |
| Open source | Yes, and self-host is free | Yes, and you run it yourself | Yes, with a self-hosted Community Edition |
| What you build | Agents that do finished work and land it as a reviewable change | A private chat workspace over your files, plus no-code agents | Published apps, APIs, embeds and MCP tools from a visual canvas |
| Where the work runs | Its own cloud computer per session: Kortix Cloud, VPC, or on-prem | Locally by default; Docker, desktop, or your own cloud | Dify Cloud, your VPC, or self-hosted with Docker Compose |
| Models | Any provider, your own keys, or a ChatGPT subscription | Any local or cloud LLM, including Ollama and LM Studio | Hundreds of proprietary and open-source models from dozens of providers |
| Multi-user | Per-resource permissions for people and agents; roles, groups, audit | Multi-user and permissioning in the Docker version; desktop is one user | A collaborative workspace for teams, with enterprise SSO and role-based access |
| Who it fits | A company where agents work across teams and land reviewed changes | One person with documents to chat with, or a small team | Builders and enterprises shipping AI apps and pipelines |
| Price to start | Free is $0 with 200 credits per month and 1 project. | Self-run is free; a hosted instance is offered | Free Sandbox plan on Dify Cloud; Community Edition self-hosts |

## How an agent becomes a file you review

`kortix.yaml`

```yaml
# kortix.yaml
agents:
  support-triage:
    file: agents/support-triage.md   # what it does, in plain markdown
    connectors: all                  # what it may reach
```

Source: https://github.com/kortix-ai/suna

An agent is a markdown file plus a block in `kortix.yaml`, so what it does and what it may reach arrive as a diff.

## Match the tool to the job

AnythingLLM is a workspace for chatting with your own documents: it ingests files, indexes them, and answers from them, and it can run agents, with multi-user support when you host the Docker version ([AnythingLLM repo](https://github.com/Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm), [docs](https://docs.anythingllm.com/)). Dify is a platform for building AI applications: a visual canvas for agentic workflows and RAG pipelines, hundreds of models, and a marketplace of tools you publish as web apps or APIs ([Dify repo](https://github.com/langgenius/dify), [docs](https://dify.ai/)). Both are open source. They answer different questions: what do I do with these files, and what app do I build.

## Route by the job

The three names get compared because each one touches models and documents, but the job is different.

- **Chat with files.** AnythingLLM fits. Point it at a folder, connect a local or cloud model, and ask questions with source citations. It runs locally by default.
- **Build an app.** Dify fits. Wire a workflow on the canvas, attach a knowledge base, then publish it as a web app, an API or an MCP tool.
- **Run a company where agents work.** Kortix is built for that layer, and it is open source: agents, skills, company memory and connectors live in one git repo you own, and every session runs on its own cloud computer. The agent opens a change request, and a person merges it.

## What a workspace and a builder leave to you

AnythingLLM and Dify both self-host, and Dify documents a Community Edition for your own infrastructure ([Dify docs](https://docs.dify.ai/en/home)). What neither is built to be is the layer a whole company runs on. Kortix puts per-resource permissions for people and agents, approval gates you set, an audit trail, and SAML 2.0 single sign-on into the same repo as the agents. Work reaches `main` through a change request a person reviews, not a direct write.

If your decision is between the other two, the [Kortix vs AnythingLLM comparison](/kortix-vs-anythingllm) and the [list of AnythingLLM alternatives](/best-anythingllm-alternatives) go deeper on each.

## How to choose

Pick AnythingLLM when one person or a small team needs a private, local chat over documents. Pick Dify when a builder is shipping AI apps and pipelines and needs a canvas, a marketplace and an API. Pick Kortix when agents should do the work across teams, on real cloud computers, landing changes a person approves. The comparison table on this page lines the three up on source, models, hosting and price.

## Questions before you pick

### Do AnythingLLM and Dify give a team per-user permissions and an audit trail?

AnythingLLM documents multi-user support and permissioning in its Docker version, and Dify documents SSO and role-based access in its Enterprise edition. Kortix puts per-resource permissions for people and agents, roles, groups and an audit trail in the same repo as the agents.

### What does Kortix cost?

Free is $0 with 200 credits per month and 1 project. The team plan is $40 per seat per month with 2,500 credits per month per seat, pooled. Self-host is free.

### Can Kortix use the models I already run?

Any model provider with your own keys, or the ChatGPT plan you already pay for. AnythingLLM also connects to local models such as Ollama and LM Studio.

### Is this site affiliated with AnythingLLM or Dify?

No. AnythingLLM belongs to Mintplex Labs and Dify belongs to its makers; this site names them only to compare, and its pick for a company is Kortix.

## Start with one job, in a repo you own

Self-host it free, or start on Kortix Cloud and grow from one agent.

[Try Kortix](https://kortix.com) · [See the AnythingLLM alternatives](https://anythingllm-alternative.com/best-anythingllm-alternatives)

Open source · Any model, your keys · Self-host, VPC, or on-prem