Agno vs Haystack
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted self-hosted ai options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Agno | Haystack |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 99 · Excellent | 97 · Excellent |
| Category | Self-Hosted AI | Self-Hosted AI |
| License | MPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 42,325 | ★ 26,584 |
| First released | 2024 | 2020 |
| Replaces | LangChain | LangChain |
What are Agno and Haystack?
Agno
Agno is a Python framework for building autonomous AI agents with memory, knowledge, and tools. It is designed to be fast and model-agnostic, supporting reasoning and multi-agent teams.
- Multi-agent teams
- Built-in memory and knowledge
- Model agnostic
- Fast agent instantiation
Haystack
Haystack is an open-source Python framework for building search, RAG, and agentic LLM applications. It provides composable pipelines connecting models, retrievers, and document stores.
- Composable pipelines
- RAG and agent support
- Many integrations
- Production focus
Agno vs Haystack: key differences
Both projects are written in Python. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for Agno versus Apache-2.0 for Haystack. Agno is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Haystack. Haystack is the more established project (first released 2020), while Agno arrived in 2024. Haystack lists first-class Docker deployment; Agno does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Agno if…
- Fast agent startup
- Model-agnostic design
- Built-in memory support
Watch out for
- Rapidly changing APIs
- Python only
Choose Haystack if…
- Composable pipeline design
- Production-ready focus
- Many integrations
Watch out for
- Concepts take learning
- Abstractions add overhead
Frequently asked questions
Is Agno or Haystack better?
Neither is universally better. Agno has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Agno and Haystack free and open-source?
Yes. Agno is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Haystack under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Agno and Haystack with Docker?
Agno: check the project docs for container support. Haystack: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Agno or Haystack?
Agno has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Haystack. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.