Langflow: Open Source Alternative to Flowise for AI Agents and RAG

Langflow is an open-source visual builder for AI agents, RAG pipelines, and LLM applications. With 149k+ GitHub stars, it is often compared with Flowise AI, especially for teams looking for a self-hostable, visual way to build LangChain-powered workflows.

Compare Langflow with Flowise AI before you choose your stack. Explore related tools like Dify and Langfuse, or browse alternatives to Flowise. See also Helicone, Laminar, and Open WebUI in our AI Interaction, No-Code, and Developer Tools categories.

Key features

Visual builder

• Drag and drop LangChain components
• Real-time flow preview and debugging
• Python code nodes for custom logic
• Export flows as API endpoints

Multi-agent systems

• Agent orchestration with tool use
• Multi-step reasoning chains
• Memory and context management
• Custom agent creation

RAG pipelines

• Document ingestion and chunking
• Vector store integration (Chroma, Qdrant, Milvus)
• Retrieval and ranking strategies
• Source attribution in responses

Langflow vs Flowise

Flowise is also a self-hostable visual builder for LLM workflows. Langflow mainly differs through its Python-first approach, LangChain ecosystem, component customization, and AI app deployment workflow.

Feature	Langflow	Flowise AI
Main use case	Visual builder for AI agents, RAG pipelines and workflows	Visual builder for LLM apps, chatflows and agents
Primary ecosystem	Python / LangChain	JavaScript / TypeScript / LangChain.js
Custom components	Python components	JS/TS-oriented customization
Deployment	Self-hosted or Langflow Cloud	Self-hosted or cloud options
Model support	Multiple providers and local models through components	Multiple providers and local models through integrations
API endpoints	Turns flows into API endpoints	Also supports API usage for flows/chatflows
Best for	Python teams building AI apps and RAG pipelines	Teams prototyping LLM workflows quickly

Choose Langflow if you want a Python-first, LangChain-oriented builder for AI agents, RAG pipelines, and deployable LLM applications.

Choose Flowise AI if you prefer a JavaScript/TypeScript-oriented stack for fast LLM workflow and chatflow prototyping.

Browse alternatives to Flowise, compare Dify and Langfuse, or explore the AI Interaction category.

At a glance

License	MIT
Stack	Python, TypeScript, React
Self-hosted	Yes
Cloud	Langflow Cloud
Framework	LangChain

Self-hosting

pip install langflow
langflow run

Self-hosting options:

• pip install for local development
• Docker
• Docker Compose
• Reverse proxy with Nginx or Caddy
• Persistent database and storage for production deployments

FAQ

Is Langflow better than Flowise?

Both are capable self-hostable visual builders. Langflow is often stronger for Python teams building LangChain-powered AI agents, RAG pipelines, and API-deployable LLM apps. Flowise AI is often preferred for fast JavaScript/TypeScript-oriented LLM workflow prototyping.

What is the difference between Langflow and Flowise?

Langflow and Flowise are both visual builders for LLM applications. Langflow is more Python-first and strongly oriented around LangChain components, AI agents, RAG pipelines, and API deployment. Flowise AI is often used for fast LLM workflow prototyping with a JavaScript/TypeScript-oriented ecosystem.

Is Langflow open source?

Yes. Langflow is open source under the MIT license. You can self-host it, inspect the code, and extend it with custom Python components.

Can Langflow be self-hosted?

Yes. Langflow supports self-hosted deployment via pip, Docker, or Docker Compose — see the Self-hosting section above. Production setups often add a reverse proxy (Nginx or Caddy) and persistent storage.

Can Langflow build RAG pipelines?

Yes. Langflow includes document ingestion, chunking, vector store integrations (Chroma, Qdrant, Milvus), retrieval strategies, and source attribution for RAG applications.

Can Langflow be used to build AI agents?

Yes. Langflow supports multi-agent orchestration, tool use, memory, multi-step reasoning chains, and custom agent creation in a visual editor.

What is the difference between Langflow and LangSmith?

LangSmith is primarily an LLM observability, evaluation, and prompt management platform — not a visual app builder. Langflow is a visual builder for AI agents and RAG pipelines; you can use LangSmith alongside Langflow for tracing and evaluation. See also Langfuse and Helicone for observability options.

Is Langflow an alternative to OpenAI?

Langflow is not a direct replacement for OpenAI models. It is a visual builder that can connect to OpenAI and other model providers to build AI agents, RAG pipelines, and LLM applications.

How does Langflow compare to Dify?

Dify is a broader LLM app development platform with workflow, RAG, and agent capabilities. Langflow is more focused on visual LangChain component composition for Python-centric AI apps and RAG pipelines.

What are alternatives to Langflow and Flowise?

Browse alternatives to Flowise, explore Dify, Langfuse, Helicone, and Laminar, or see the full AI Interaction category.