LightRAGvsWhirl
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| LightRAG | Whirl | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 | 52/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 7 in RAG | #23 of 69 in AI Chat |
| GitHub stars | 40 394 | 510 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +559 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 11 | 0 |
| Latest release | v1.5.7 · 2 Sept 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | No |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Main language | Python | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
LightRAG scores 82/100 against 52/100 for Whirl, so it is the safer default.
LightRAG ships more often: 11 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Whirl.
If you want the quickest setup, LightRAG is easier to run; Whirl needs more configuration.
LightRAG is growing faster right now (+559 stars in 30 days).
LightRAG details →Whirl details →
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