# Unstructured

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

> Unstructured is an open-source AI framework, launched in 2022, made for developers and businesses.

A library that turns PDFs, images and Office files into clean, chunked data for LLMs.

Main jobs: Document parsing. It is open source and free to use. You can use it on your own server, through an API and in the terminal.

## At a glance

- **Type:** [Framework](https://godooo.ai/en/browse#framework)
- **Launched:** 2022
- **Galaxy:** [Models & APIs](https://godooo.ai/en/galaxy/builders)
- **Open source:** Yes · Apache-2.0
- **Source code:** [github.com/Unstructured-IO/unstructured](https://github.com/Unstructured-IO/unstructured)
- **GitHub stars:** 15,480
- **How you run it:** Self-host · API · Terminal
- **Made for:** Developers · Businesses
- **Website:** [unstructured.io](https://www.unstructured.io)

## What it can do

- **[Document parsing](https://godooo.ai/en/capability/document-parsing)** — main job, _proposed by a machine, awaiting calibration_. “Transform complex, unstructured data into clean, AI-ready inputs. Connect to any source, process 64+ file types, and power your GenAI projects.” (read on [unstructured.io](https://www.unstructured.io/), 2026-09-24)
- **[Knowledge base (RAG)](https://godooo.ai/en/capability/knowledge-base)** — supported, _proposed by a machine, awaiting calibration_. “take advantage of chunking, embedding, and image and table enrichment generation, all from a low code UI or an API.” (read on [github.com](https://github.com/Unstructured-IO/unstructured), 2026-09-24)
- **[Text recognition (OCR)](https://godooo.ai/en/capability/ocr)** — supported, _proposed by a machine, awaiting calibration_. “OCR that catches every detail. Capture text from scans, images, handwriting, and low-quality documents with high accuracy.” (read on [unstructured.io](https://www.unstructured.io/), 2026-09-24)

## Alternatives

- **[Docling](https://godooo.ai/en/framework/docling)** (Open source, free): Also does: Document parsing, Text recognition (OCR), Knowledge base (RAG); runs offline
- **[MinerU](https://godooo.ai/en/framework/mineru)** (Open source, free): Also does: Document parsing, Text recognition (OCR); runs offline
- **[PaddleOCR](https://godooo.ai/en/framework/paddleocr)** (Open source, free): Also does: Document parsing, Text recognition (OCR); runs offline
- **[RAGFlow](https://godooo.ai/en/product/ragflow)** (Open source, free): Also does: Document parsing, Knowledge base (RAG)
- **[Marker](https://godooo.ai/en/framework/marker)** (Open source, free): Also does: Document parsing, Text recognition (OCR); runs offline
- **[Surya](https://godooo.ai/en/framework/surya)** (Open source, free): Also does: Document parsing, Text recognition (OCR); runs offline
- **[LlamaIndex](https://godooo.ai/en/framework/llamaindex)** (Open source, free): Also does: Knowledge base (RAG), Document parsing, Text recognition (OCR); runs offline
- **[MarkItDown](https://godooo.ai/en/framework/markitdown)** (Open source, free): Also does: Document parsing, Text recognition (OCR); runs offline
- **[FastGPT](https://godooo.ai/en/product/fastgpt)** (Open source, free): Also does: Knowledge base (RAG), Document parsing; no code needed
- **[kotaemon](https://godooo.ai/en/product/kotaemon)** (Open source, free): Also does: Knowledge base (RAG), Document parsing; runs offline; no code needed
- **[PDF Skill](https://godooo.ai/en/skill/pdf)**: Also does: Document parsing
- **[PrivateGPT](https://godooo.ai/en/framework/privategpt)** (Open source, free): Also does: Knowledge base (RAG), Document parsing; runs offline

## Questions

### What is Unstructured?

Unstructured is an open-source AI framework, launched in 2022, made for developers and businesses. A library that turns PDFs, images and Office files into clean, chunked data for LLMs.

### Is Unstructured free?

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

### Is Unstructured open source?

Yes, under the Apache-2.0 license. The source code is at https://github.com/Unstructured-IO/unstructured.

### Can Unstructured run locally?

Unstructured can be self-hosted on your own server.

### What can Unstructured do?

Main jobs: Document parsing. It can also do: Knowledge base (RAG), Text recognition (OCR).

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

Open-source ones: Docling, MinerU, PaddleOCR, RAGFlow, Marker, Surya, LlamaIndex and MarkItDown. Others: PDF Skill.

## Sources

- [unstructured.io](https://www.unstructured.io/) — checked 2026-09-24
- [github.com](https://github.com/Unstructured-IO/unstructured) — checked 2026-09-24

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