Build automations and AI agents on a visual canvas, then host them yourself for free.
Automation & Workflows
Dify
Build AI chatbots, agents and workflows on a visual canvas, hosted or on your own server.
4.1our rating
FreemiumOpen sourceFrom $59/mo per workspaceWorks with Claude Code
Quick take
- A visual builder for your own AI chatbots, agents and workflows, using whichever model you like, Claude included.
- Upload your documents and the bot answers from them, which makes it good for support bots and staff helpers.
- Free to self-host. The cloud Sandbox plan is free but small: 200 message credits, 5 apps and 1 user.
- Cloud Professional is $59 a month per workspace, or $590 a year, for 3 team members and 5,000 message credits a month.
- It takes some learning. If you just want everyday app-to-app automations, n8n or Zapier is the simpler pick.
What is Dify?
Dify is a builder for your own AI apps. You drag blocks onto a canvas to make a chatbot, an agent (an AI that can take steps on its own, like searching or calling another app) or a workflow, and pick which AI model runs it: Claude, GPT, Gemini or an open-source model. Upload your documents into a knowledge base and the bot answers from them, so you can build a support assistant that knows your policies or an internal helper that knows your price list.
Each app you build gets a ready-made chat page you can share, a widget you can embed on your website and an API, so other tools can use it. Dify can also publish a workflow as an MCP server (a connector Claude can use), and pull in tools from its marketplace of plugins. Workflows can start on a schedule or from a webhook (a message another app sends when something happens).
It's open source with more than 160,000 stars on GitHub, so you can run it on your own server for free. The cloud version saves you the setup. The catch is that it's a builder, so expect an afternoon of learning before your first useful bot. Model usage costs extra once the included message credits run out, unless you plug in your own API key.
Who's using it, and who it's for
- Small businesses
- Agencies
- Ops teams
- Developers
- Large companies
Small businesses and agencies that want a custom AI chatbot or agent trained on their own documents, without hiring a developer to build it from scratch.
Key features
Visual workflow studio
Drag blocks to build chatbots, agents and multi-step AI workflows, with branches, loops and code steps when you need them.
Knowledge base
Upload PDFs, docs and web pages, and your bot answers from them and can show where the answer came from.
Any model
Switch between Claude, GPT, Gemini, xAI and open-source models per app, or plug in your own API key.
Share and embed
Every app gets a shareable chat page, a website widget and an API for other tools to use.
MCP and plugins
Publish a workflow as an MCP server for Claude, or add tools from Dify's plugin marketplace.
Triggers and logs
Start workflows on a schedule or from a webhook, and read every conversation in the logs to improve answers.
How we rate it
4.1 / 5
Our rating
From using the tool ourselves. The average of the five scores.
- Ease of use
- 3.5
- Features
- 4.5
- Output quality
- 4.0
- Value for money
- 4.5
- Speed & reliability
- 4.0
How quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
How completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
How good the results are before you fix them.
What you get for the price, including the free plan.
How fast it is and how often it falls over.
Dify pricing
Which plan should you pick?
Build your first bot on the free Sandbox. Move to Professional when it goes live, and plug in your own Claude or OpenAI API key so you don't run out of message credits. Self-host only if you or someone on your team is happy looking after a server. Prices exclude tax.
Prices in USD unless noted, checked 3 November 2026. Vendors change plans often, so confirm on their site before you buy.
Best use cases
Ways Dify can slot into your week.
- 1
Website support bot
Upload your FAQs, shipping policy and product guides, then embed the chatbot on your site to answer customers around the clock.
- 2
Staff helpdesk
Give your team an internal assistant that answers "how do I process a refund?" from your procedures documents.
- 3
Lead qualifier
A chat flow asks website visitors a few questions, scores the lead and sends the hot ones to your CRM through a webhook.
- 4
Client bots for agencies
Build a bot once, copy it for each client with their own documents, and host it all in one workspace.
How it fits your tech stack
Use Dify for the AI part, like a bot that answers from your documents, and n8n or Zapier to move data between your other apps. It works with Claude through the API, and Claude Code can call any Dify app or connect to one published as an MCP server.
Connects to
- Claude
- OpenAI
- Google Gemini
- Notion
- Slack
- Google Drive
- Firecrawl
- Zapier
Pros and cons
Pros
- Open source and free to run on your own server
- Works with almost any AI model, including Claude
- Knowledge base makes it easy to build bots that know your business
- Every app gets a chat page, website widget and API
- Can publish workflows as MCP servers for Claude
Cons
- Takes some learning before your first useful bot
- The free cloud plan is too small for real use
- Message credits run out fast without your own API key
- Self-hosting means looking after updates, backups and security yourself
Dify alternatives
The closest alternatives to Dify in the library, best rated first.
n8n
4.5
Best for AI agents that act on email or chat
Compare with Dify
Make
4.3
Best for multi-step marketing workflows
Compare with Dify
Composio
4.2
Best for Letting Claude act in Gmail, Slack and your CRM
Compare with DifyZapier
4.2
Best for sending form submissions to spreadsheets
Compare with Dify
Why it made the list
It's one of the most popular open-source tools for building AI apps, and it gives non-developers a visual way to make a bot that knows their business.
Dify FAQ
How much does Dify cost?
There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $59/mo per workspace. Prices checked 3 November 2026 against Dify's pricing page.
Is Dify free?
Yes, Dify has a free option. Build your first bot on the free Sandbox. Move to Professional when it goes live, and plug in your own Claude or OpenAI API key so you don't run out of message credits. Self-host only if you or someone on your team is happy looking after a server. Prices exclude tax.
What is Dify best for?
Dify is best for A chatbot that answers from your own documents, Internal AI assistants for staff and AI workflows you can host yourself. Small businesses and agencies that want a custom AI chatbot or agent trained on their own documents, without hiring a developer to build it from scratch.
What are the best Dify alternatives?
The closest alternatives are n8n, Make, Composio and Zapier. n8n is best for AI agents that act on email or chat.
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