# PrivateGPT

Framework · https://godooo.ai/en/framework/privategpt

> PrivateGPT is an open-source AI framework, launched in 2023, made for developers and businesses.

An API layer for building private AI apps, such as document Q&A, on local models.

Main jobs: Ask your documents, Knowledge base (RAG). It is open source and free to use. You can use it on your own server, through an API and offline on your own machine.

## At a glance

- **Type:** [Framework](https://godooo.ai/en/browse#framework)
- **Launched:** 2023
- **Galaxy:** [Models & APIs](https://godooo.ai/en/galaxy/builders)
- **Open source:** Yes · Apache-2.0
- **Source code:** [github.com/zylon-ai/private-gpt](https://github.com/zylon-ai/private-gpt)
- **GitHub stars:** 57,530
- **How you run it:** Self-host · API · Runs offline
- **Made for:** Developers · Businesses
- **Protocols:** [OpenAI-compatible API](https://godooo.ai/en/protocol/openai-compatible-api)
- **Website:** [zylon.ai](https://www.zylon.ai/private-gpt)
- **Also known as:** private-gpt

## What it can do

- **[Ask your documents](https://godooo.ai/en/capability/document-qa)** — main job, _proposed by a machine, awaiting calibration_. “a script that let you chat with your documents, fully offline, with no data leaving your machine” (read on [github.com](https://github.com/zylon-ai/private-gpt), 2026-09-24)
- **[Knowledge base (RAG)](https://godooo.ai/en/capability/knowledge-base)** — main job, _proposed by a machine, awaiting calibration_. “Retrieval with citations and agentic RAG” (read on [github.com](https://github.com/zylon-ai/private-gpt), 2026-09-24)
- **[Document parsing](https://godooo.ai/en/capability/document-parsing)** — supported, _proposed by a machine, awaiting calibration_. “PDF and document ingestion” (read on [github.com](https://github.com/zylon-ai/private-gpt), 2026-09-24)
- **[LLM API](https://godooo.ai/en/capability/llm-api)** — supported, _proposed by a machine, awaiting calibration_. “PrivateGPT is the open-source API layer that turns local models into production AI applications” (read on [github.com](https://github.com/zylon-ai/private-gpt), 2026-09-24)

## Alternatives

- **[RAGFlow](https://godooo.ai/en/product/ragflow)** (Open source, free): Also does: Ask your documents, Document parsing, Knowledge base (RAG)
- **[kotaemon](https://godooo.ai/en/product/kotaemon)** (Open source, free): Also does: Ask your documents, Knowledge base (RAG), Document parsing; no code needed
- **[QAnything](https://godooo.ai/en/product/qanything)** (Open source, free): Also does: Ask your documents, Knowledge base (RAG), Document parsing
- **[AnythingLLM](https://godooo.ai/en/product/anythingllm)** (Open source, free): Also does: Ask your documents, Knowledge base (RAG); no code needed
- **[Khoj](https://godooo.ai/en/product/khoj)** (Open source, free): Also does: Ask your documents, Knowledge base (RAG); no code needed
- **[Langchain-Chatchat](https://godooo.ai/en/product/langchain-chatchat)** (Open source, free): Also does: Ask your documents, Knowledge base (RAG)
- **[LlamaIndex](https://godooo.ai/en/framework/llamaindex)** (Open source, free): Also does: Knowledge base (RAG), Ask your documents, Document parsing
- **[NotebookLM](https://godooo.ai/en/product/notebooklm)** (Free plan + paid upgrades): Also does: Ask your documents, Knowledge base (RAG); no code needed
- **[GraphRAG](https://godooo.ai/en/framework/graphrag)** (Open source, free): Also does: Knowledge base (RAG), Ask your documents
- **[LightRAG](https://godooo.ai/en/framework/lightrag)** (Open source, free): Also does: Knowledge base (RAG), Ask your documents
- **[MaxKB](https://godooo.ai/en/product/maxkb)** (Open source, free): Also does: Knowledge base (RAG), Ask your documents; no code needed
- **[FastGPT](https://godooo.ai/en/product/fastgpt)** (Open source, free): Also does: Knowledge base (RAG), Document parsing; no code needed

## Connections

- **Applies:** [Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)](https://godooo.ai/en/concept/rag)

## Questions

### What is PrivateGPT?

PrivateGPT is an open-source AI framework, launched in 2023, made for developers and businesses. An API layer for building private AI apps, such as document Q&A, on local models.

### Is PrivateGPT free?

Yes. PrivateGPT is open source (Apache-2.0) and free to use.

### Is PrivateGPT open source?

Yes, under the Apache-2.0 license. The source code is at https://github.com/zylon-ai/private-gpt.

### Can PrivateGPT run locally?

Yes. PrivateGPT can run offline on your own machine. It can also be self-hosted on your own server.

### What can PrivateGPT do?

Main jobs: Ask your documents, Knowledge base (RAG). It can also do: Document parsing, LLM API.

### What are open-source alternatives to PrivateGPT?

Open-source ones: RAGFlow, kotaemon, QAnything, AnythingLLM, Khoj, Langchain-Chatchat, LlamaIndex and GraphRAG. Others: NotebookLM.

## Sources

- [github.com](https://github.com/zylon-ai/private-gpt) — checked 2026-09-24
- [zylon.ai](https://www.zylon.ai/private-gpt)

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Last updated 2026-09-24 · sources checked 2026-09-24 · Markdown version of https://godooo.ai/en/framework/privategpt. Every page on this site has one: add .md to its address.