Verified project record

onyx-dot-app/onyx

Onyx is a self-hostable application layer and chat interface that brings RAG, web search, deep research, and custom agents to a hosted environment. Teams can deploy it via Docker, Kubernetes, source, or use a managed cloud service, provided they connect an LLM provider.

Project overview

Project type: AI Agent · RAG · Model Runtime
Use cases: Chat Assistants · Knowledge Q&A · Search & Research
Deployment: Refer to project documentation
License: License pending

Best for

Enterprise teams requiring a self-hosted or managed application layer with SSO, RBAC, and indexing connectors for enterprise RAG.
Developers and general users needing a local chat interface with deep research, web search, and custom agent capabilities that require less than 1GB of memory in Onyx Lite mode.

Key capabilities

Provides hybrid index search and AI Agents for information retrieval.
Delivers in-depth reports using a multi-step research flow.
Enables building AI Agents with unique instructions, knowledge, and actions.
Browses the web for up-to-date information with support for multiple providers and crawlers.
Generates documents, graphics, and downloadable artifacts.
Lets agents interact with external applications via flexible Auth options.
Executes code in a sandbox to analyze data, render graphs, or modify files.
Allows chatting via text-to-speech and speech-to-text.

Limitations and risks

Onyx Lite mode lacks a vector index, background containers, and performance optimizations.
Standard Onyx requires additional components and background containers which increase resource usage compared to Lite mode.
Extra enterprise features are paywalled under the Enterprise Edition.

Getting started

Run curl -fsSL https://onyx.app/install_onyx.sh | bash, choose Onyx Lite mode for a lightweight installation requiring under 1GB of memory, and access the Chat UI web interface.

Evidence and sources

GitHub project description: Open Source AI Platform - AI Chat with advanced features that works with every LLM
README: Onyx is the application layer for LLMs - bringing a feature-rich interface that can be easily hosted by anyone.
README: Onyx enables LLMs through advanced capabilities like RAG, web search, code execution, file creation, deep research and more.
README: Onyx supports deployments in Docker, Kubernetes, Helm/Terraform and provides guides for major cloud providers.
README: The Lite mode can be thought of as a lightweight Chat UI. It requires less resources (under 1GB memory) and runs a less complex stack.

Reviewed at: 2026-07-17T09:42:45Z