Guru costs $10/mo.
These cost $0.
5 free alternatives to Guru, checked for license, recent activity and real adoption. Each one tells you the catch, so you can switch with your eyes open.
The top-rated free, open-source replacement for Guru is Onyx (Open Source Open Source). Across this category, 5 self-hostable tools are available (including Onyx and Outline). Switching a 5-person team saves up to $600/year compared to Guru's $10/mo subscription.
The catch: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Guru.
Guru vs Free Alternatives
Quick side-by-side comparison · $0/mo vs $10/mo
| Alternative | Type | License | Where It Runs | Stars | Head-to-Head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onyx | open source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 33.3k | Guru vs Onyx → |
| Outline | open source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 41.2k | Guru vs Outline → |
| Docmost | open source | AGPL-3.0 | Self-host | ★ 22.3k | Guru vs Docmost → |
| Pipeshub | open source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 4k | Guru vs Pipeshub → |
| XWiki | open source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 1.3k | Guru vs XWiki → |
The picks
5 open source · ranked by fit
- 01
Onyx
open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host33.3knov 2026An open-source platform that connects to 40+ apps to provide intelligent search and AI assistance across all company information
The catch vs GuruRequires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Guru.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Clone https://github.com/onyx-dot-app/onyx or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- your data
- All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 02
Outline
open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host41.2knov 2026Team knowledge base with real-time collaboration, AI-powered search, Slack integration, and self-hosting support for internal docs and wikis.
The catch vs GuruRequires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Guru.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Clone https://github.com/outline/outline or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- your data
- All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 03
Docmost
open sourceAGPL-3.0Self-host22.3knov 2026Self-hosted wiki platform for enterprise teams with real-time collaboration, built-in AI, SSO, RBAC permissions, and compliance support for ITAR, FedRAMP, and GDPR.
The catch vs GuruIt is simpler and faster, but has fewer enterprise macros, workflow controls, templates, marketplace integrations and Jira-native connections than Confluence.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Hosted signup or Docker Compose with PostgreSQL and Redis
- setup
- Self-hosting requires Docker, a strong APP_SECRET, database credentials, persistent volumes, and normally a domain, TLS reverse proxy, and SMTP
- your data
- Pages, users, comments, and history in PostgreSQL; jobs/cache in Redis; attachments in a persistent local volume by default or S3/Azure Blob
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 04
Pipeshub
open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host4knov 2026Self-hostable enterprise AI platform that unifies business data across apps, powers a knowledge graph for cited answers, and lets teams build AI agents across their stack.
The catch vs GuruRequires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Guru.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Clone https://github.com/pipeshub-ai/pipeshub-ai/ or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- your data
- All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 05
XWiki
open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host1.3knov 2026XWiki is a flexible, feature-rich wiki software that helps organizations structure and share knowledge efficiently.
The catch vs GuruRequires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Guru.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Clone https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- your data
- All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
Guru Head-to-Head Comparisons (2027)
Side-by-side trade-off breakdowns · 5 free alternatives
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers · Guru open-source replacements
What is the best free alternative to Guru?+
The top free alternative to Guru is Onyx (open source, Open Source). An open-source platform that connects to 40+ apps to provide intelligent search and AI assistance across all company information Other popular Guru replacements include Outline, Docmost, Pipeshub.
Can I self-host a free replacement for Guru?+
Yes. Of the 5 free alternatives to Guru, 5 can be self-hosted on your own server or local machine: Onyx (Open Source), Outline (Open Source), Docmost (AGPL-3.0), Pipeshub (Open Source), XWiki (Open Source).
How much does switching from Guru to a free alternative save?+
Guru starts at $10/month per seat ($120/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like Onyx saves $600 per year in software subscription fees.
Should I vibe-code or build my own Guru clone from scratch?+
Our build verdict for Guru is NO (use a free alternative, save the tokens). Instead of paying recurring SaaS fees for Guru or rebuilding it from scratch, deploy one of the 5 battle-tested open-source alternatives like Onyx.
What is the catch when switching from Guru to Onyx?+
Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Guru.
