LightRAG vs OpenHands
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted self-hosted ai options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
LightRAG
Simple and fast retrieval-augmented generation with graphs
VS
OpenHands
Autonomous AI software engineering agent
| Feature | LightRAG | OpenHands |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Self-Hosted AI | Self-Hosted AI |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 38,622 | ★ 83,415 |
| First released | 2024 | 2024 |
| Replaces | OpenAI Assistants | Devin, GitHub Copilot Workspace |
Why pick each one
Choose LightRAG if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 38.6k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Choose OpenHands if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 83.4k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is LightRAG or OpenHands better?
Neither is universally better. OpenHands has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are LightRAG and OpenHands free and open-source?
Yes. LightRAG is licensed under MIT and OpenHands under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run LightRAG and OpenHands with Docker?
LightRAG: yes. OpenHands: yes.