Dify
An open-source platform for building AI apps, agents and workflows with a visual interface.
What is Dify?
Dify is an open-source platform for building applications on top of large language models. It provides a visual workflow builder, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) for your documents, agent capabilities with tools, and features to deploy and monitor apps.
Building a reliable AI app involves more than a prompt: you need to connect models, add your own knowledge, call tools, handle logic and monitor results. Dify packages these pieces into one platform with a visual interface.
You can create chat assistants, agents that use tools, and multi-step workflows. Knowledge bases let you upload documents so the app answers from your content. Dify supports many model providers, so you can switch models without rebuilding.
Teams can self-host Dify for control over data, or use the hosted cloud version. Apps can be published as web apps or accessed via API.
Key features of Dify
- Visual workflow builder: Design multi-step AI logic on a canvas.
- Knowledge bases (RAG): Ground answers in your own documents.
- Agents with tools: Let models call tools and APIs to complete tasks.
- Multi-model support: Use models from many providers.
- Deploy and observe: Publish apps and monitor usage and logs.
What you can use Dify for
- Internal knowledge assistants
- Customer support bots grounded in documentation
- Automated content and data workflows
- Prototyping AI products quickly
Pros and considerations
Strengths
- Open source with self-hosting option
- Visual tools lower the barrier to building
- Flexible model choice
Things to check
- Self-hosting requires technical maintenance
- Complex apps still need testing and iteration
- Model usage costs are separate
Dify pricing
Open source. Dify is open source for self-hosting and also offers a cloud service with a free tier and paid plans; check the official site for current limits.
Who Dify is best for
Teams that want to build custom AI assistants and workflows with a visual tool, with the option to self-host.
Independent listing by AI Agent Help, last reviewed October 2026. Features and pricing change; check the official website for the latest details. Spot something out of date? Tell us.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dify free?
The open-source version is free to self-host; the cloud version has a free tier and paid plans.
Do I need to code?
Many apps can be built visually; coding helps for custom integrations.
Can Dify use my documents?
Yes. Knowledge bases let apps answer from content you upload.