# Dify v1.18.0: what's new, verdict & setup Canonical: https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/dify · Released: 2026-10-23 · Last verified: 2026-10-25 · Evidence: Reported (not run by us) · Vendor: LangGenius · Official site: https://dify.ai/ > Open-source platform for building LLM apps and agent workflows with a visual canvas; licensed under a modified Apache 2.0 with extra conditions. ## Verdict **Open-source platform for building LLM apps and agent workflows with a visual canvas; licensed under a modified Apache 2.0 with extra conditions.** Good for: - Teams that want a visual builder they can self-host - Internal RAG and agent apps Skip if: - You need a standard OSI-approved license for redistribution Status: Reported. Written from official release notes and docs; we have not run this release ourselves. Pricing: Partly verified. Pricing page not read. (checked 2026-10-25) ## Best for - [Best AI tool for agent building](https://theagenticweekly.com/best/agent-building) (#-): Visual LLM app and agent builder, self-hostable under a modified Apache license. ## Key facts Dify's LICENSE file says it is a modified Apache License 2.0 with additional conditions, including a requirement for a commercial license for certain multi-tenant service use. v1.18.0 was tagged Oct 23, 2026. - License: Modified Apache 2.0 (Dify Open Source License) - Platforms: Cloud and self-hosted - Pricing model: Freemium and self-host - Free tier: Open-source self-hosted version; hosted plans exist - Paid plans: Cloud plan prices not read - GitHub: langgenius/dify: 159,534 stars on 2026-10-25, last push 2026-10-26 - Latest release we saw: v1.18.0, 2026-10-23 - How to start: Self-host with Docker Compose per the repository's README or sign up for the cloud. - v1.18.0 (2026-10-23): the newest release listed on the official page or repository when we read it on 2026-10-25. ## How to set it up: Get started with Dify These steps come from the vendor's own pages as read on 2026-10-25. We have not run Dify. 1. **Get access.** Self-host with Docker Compose per the repository's README or sign up for the cloud. 2. **Check the limits and costs first.** Open-source self-hosted version; hosted plans exist. Paid: Cloud plan prices not read. Pricing page not read. ## Pros and cons Pros: - Very large community - Self-hostable Cons: - Modified license has commercial conditions to read ## Alternatives - [Flowise](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/flowise): Open-source drag-and-drop builder for LLM flows and agents; GitHub marks the main repository as archived with its last push in Aug 2026. - [Langflow](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/langflow): MIT-licensed visual builder for AI agents and MCP servers with a very large GitHub following. - [n8n](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/n8n): Fair-code workflow automation with 400+ integrations and native AI agent features; self-host or cloud. - [Botpress](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/botpress): Customer-support AI agent platform with a free plan and conversation-based paid plans. - [Gumloop](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/gumloop): Agent builder for teams; plans start at $37 per month with 20k included credits. - [Lindy](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/lindy): AI 'employee' builder that connects to your tools; Free plan with $50 in credits that last 7 days, then credit-based plans. - [Microsoft Copilot Studio](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/copilot-studio): Microsoft's platform for creating and managing custom agents, workflows and apps with no code. - [Pydantic AI](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/pydantic-ai): Python agent framework built on Pydantic types, covering agents, realtime voice, image generation and embeddings. - [Relevance AI](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/relevance-ai): Platform for specialist AI agents for sales, customer success, marketing and HR, with an embedded deployment team. - [Voiceflow](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/voiceflow): Platform for chat and voice AI agents for customer experience teams. - [LangGraph](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/langgraph): Low-level framework for building long-running, stateful agents as graphs. - [Vercel AI SDK](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/vercel-ai-sdk): Vercel's TypeScript SDK that gives one API across many model providers, with streaming and agent helpers. ## FAQ ### What is Dify? Dify's LICENSE file says it is a modified Apache License 2.0 with additional conditions, including a requirement for a commercial license for certain multi-tenant service use. v1.18.0 was tagged Oct 23, 2026. ### Is Dify free? Open-source self-hosted version; hosted plans exist. Paid: Cloud plan prices not read. Pricing page not read. Checked 2026-10-25; prices change, so confirm on the vendor's page. ### What license is Dify under? Its license: Modified Apache 2.0 (Dify Open Source License). Read from the project's own pages on 2026-10-25. ## What we have not verified - Cloud pricing ## Sources - [Dify](https://dify.ai/) (fetched 2026-10-25) - [Dify license](https://github.com/langgenius/dify/blob/main/LICENSE) (fetched 2026-10-25) - [Dify repository (GitHub)](https://github.com/langgenius/dify) (fetched 2026-10-25) ## How to cite Agentic Weekly, "Dify v1.18.0: what's new, verdict & setup", last updated 2026-10-25, https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/dify Keep the Reported or Tested label when you quote the verdict.