Khoj review (2026): is it any good?
Open-source AI assistant that searches and chats over your notes
Khoj report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for AI chat over your own notes, self-hosted
Khoj lets you ask questions of your own notes and documents and search them by meaning, with the model of your choice. The hosted Khoj Cloud was shut down on April 15, 2026, so what remains is the free self-hosted version, which needs Docker or Python and an AI model you pay for yourself.
Who Khoj is for
- Fits if you use Obsidian or Emacs and want AI over notes you already have
- Works for people comfortable running Docker who want documents to stay on their own machine
Who Khoj is not for
- Skip it if you want a hosted service, because Khoj Cloud was shut down on April 15, 2026
- Not for you if you won't run Docker or Python, since there's no one-click install
- Watch out: commercial model APIs such as OpenAI bill you separately
- Tight if you want updates: the company says it is now focusing on Open Paper and Pipali
Why Khoj gets a 2.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyThe software is free and open source, but only if you host it yourself, which needs a server. Commercial model APIs bill separately, so the real cost depends on the model you pick.
- BFree plan and trialThe self-hosted software costs nothing and has no caps. There is no hosted trial left, since the cloud service was sunset.
- CFeaturesChat over your files, search by meaning, Markdown, org-mode, PDF and Word support, agents and automations. The company says it is now focusing on its other products.
- DEase of useNo store rating on record. Setup means Docker or pip plus an AI model, and on Windows the documented Docker route runs through WSL2.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, a desktop app on Mac, Windows and Linux, and Obsidian, Emacs and WhatsApp. No iPhone or Android app is listed.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Khoj's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/khoj#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/khoj.svg" alt="Khoj: 2.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Khoj stands among note-taking apps
Khoj's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 12 of the 152 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 10.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 87 of 152) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Khoj has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 153 note-taking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Khoj’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 16 of 152, level with 33
- BFree plan and trialAbove 73 of 152, level with 30
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 152, level with 102
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 152, level with 6
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 87 of 152, level with 43
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 107 note-taking apps. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Keep Khoj, or make your own?
Keep it
Khoj is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 130 of the 152 other note-taking apps grade higher.
What you could make
- Markdown: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- A search engine with an AI model behind it.
- An AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, Obsidian, Emacs and Notion among them.
What this rests on. Khoj’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Khoj?
Khoj is a personal AI assistant you run on your own server that answers questions from your notes and documents and from the web. It indexes Markdown, org-mode, PDF, plaintext, Word and Notion files and can be used from a web app, desktop app, Obsidian, Emacs or WhatsApp. The company shut down its hosted Khoj Cloud in April 2026, so what remains is the self-hosted software.
Worth knowing
- Khoj Cloud was sunset on April 15, 2026; the docs still mention it, but only self-hosting remains.
- The company says it is now focusing on its other products, Open Paper and Pipali.
- Self-hosting needs Docker or pip plus an AI model, and commercial model APIs bill separately.
- On Windows the documented Docker setup runs through WSL2.
Key features
- Chat with your notes
- Ask questions and Khoj answers from files you shared, and from the web when relevant.
- Natural-language search
- Find notes and documents by meaning rather than exact words, with search-as-you-type.
- Many file types
- Indexes Markdown, org-mode, PDF, plaintext and Word files and Notion pages.
- Your choice of model
- Works with OpenAI, Anthropic and Gemini keys, or a local model through Ollama or an OpenAI-compatible server.
- Several interfaces
- Use it from the web, a desktop companion app, Obsidian, Emacs or WhatsApp.
- Agents and automations
- The homepage describes building agents and scheduling automations.
Khoj pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, Khoj is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- The self-hosted software is free and open source; you pay for any AI model API you connect.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted | $0 | Run the open-source server yourself with Docker or pip; connect OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini or a local model. |
Read from app.khoj.dev on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Khoj before you buy.
Works with
Khoj alternatives
- Khoj vs Obsidian
Free plan · from $4/mo
- Khoj vs Logseq
Free plan · from $5/mo
- Khoj vs Notion
Free plan · from $10/mo
- Khoj vs Joplin
Free plan · from €2.40/mo
- Khoj vs Fabric
Free plan · from $8/mo
Common questions
Does Khoj have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Khoj is listed for Web, macOS, Windows and Linux.
Does Khoj have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Khoj is listed for Web, macOS, Windows and Linux.
Is Khoj open source?
Yes. Khoj is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.