GNO vs Khoj
Verdict: Both offer semantic search over local documents with AI chat. Khoj is a full-featured personal AI platform with cloud LLM support, mobile access, and custom agents. GNO is CLI-first with MCP integration and REST API. Choose Khoj for multi-platform personal assistant, GNO for developer workflows and AI agent integration.
Both tools provide semantic search for local documents with AI-powered RAG features. Here’s how they compare.
Get Started
# GNO
bun install -g @gmickel/gno
gno init ~/notes --name notes && gno index
# Khoj (pip)
pip install 'khoj[local]'
USE_EMBEDDED_DB="true" khoj --anonymous-mode
# Khoj (Docker)
mkdir ~/.khoj && cd ~/.khoj
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/khoj-ai/khoj/master/docker-compose.yml
docker-compose up
Quick Summary
| Aspect | GNO | Khoj |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Developers, AI agents | Personal AI assistant |
| Unique strength | CLI, MCP, REST API | Multi-platform, custom agents |
| Stack | Bun/TypeScript | Python/TypeScript |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
Feature Comparison
| Feature | GNO | Khoj |
|---|---|---|
| Search Modes | BM25, Vector, Hybrid | Vector (semantic) |
| Reranking | ✓ Cross-encoder | ✓ Cross-encoder |
| AI Answers (RAG) | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLI | ✓ Full-featured | ✓ Server command only |
| Web UI | ✓ gno serve |
✓ Gradio-based |
| REST API | ✓ | ✓ |
| MCP Support | ✓ 10+ targets | ✗ |
| Query Expansion | ✓ LLM-powered | ✗ |
| HyDE | ✓ | ✗ |
| Model Presets | ✓ slim/balanced/quality | ✗ |
| Search Depth | ✓ fast/balanced/thorough | ✗ |
| Tab Completion | ✓ bash/zsh/fish | ✗ |
File Format Support
| Format | GNO | Khoj |
|---|---|---|
| Markdown | ✓ | ✓ |
| ✓ | ✓ | |
| DOCX | ✓ | ✓ |
| XLSX | ✓ | ✗ |
| PPTX | ✓ | ✗ |
| Org-mode | ✗ | ✓ |
| Notion | ✗ | ✓ (integration) |
| Images | ✗ | ✓ |
LLM Support
| Provider | GNO | Khoj |
|---|---|---|
| Local (llama.cpp) | ✓ Built-in | ✓ |
| Ollama | ✗ | ✓ |
| OpenAI | ✗ | ✓ |
| Anthropic | ✗ | ✓ |
| Google Gemini | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mistral | ✗ | ✓ |
Database & Infrastructure
| Aspect | GNO | Khoj |
|---|---|---|
| Database | SQLite (embedded) | PostgreSQL + pgvector |
| Setup | Single binary | Multi-container (Docker) |
| Services | 1 | 4-5 (db, server, sandbox, search) |
GNO Advantages
CLI-first design: Full-featured command line for scripting and automation.
gno query "authentication flow" --format json | jq '.results[0]'
MCP integration: One-command setup for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and more.
gno mcp install --target cursor
REST API: Programmatic access for custom integrations.
gno serve # http://localhost:3000/api
Search refinement: Query expansion, HyDE, BM25 hybrid, and configurable search depth.
gno ask "how does caching work" --depth thorough --answer
Zero infrastructure: SQLite embedded, no separate database server.
Skills: Native integration for Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode.
MIT License: Permissive licensing for commercial use.
Khoj Advantages
Multi-platform access: Browser, Obsidian, Emacs, Desktop, Phone, WhatsApp integration.
Custom agents: Create agents with tunable personality, tools, and knowledge bases.
Cloud LLM support: Works with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Mistral out of the box.
Research mode: Experimental /research command for automated research workflows.
Cloud option: app.khoj.dev available for zero-setup usage.
Image generation: Built-in text-to-image and text-to-speech capabilities.
Notion integration: Direct sync with Notion workspaces.
When to Choose GNO
- You want CLI access for scripting and automation
- You need REST API for custom integrations
- You’re integrating with AI coding assistants (Claude, Cursor, Windsurf)
- You want MCP support for agent workflows
- You prefer local-first, no cloud dependencies
- You need fine-grained search control (BM25 hybrid, depth, expansion, HyDE)
- You want simple SQLite setup, no PostgreSQL
- You need MIT licensing for commercial projects
When to Choose Khoj
- You want multi-platform access (mobile, WhatsApp, Obsidian, Emacs)
- You need to use cloud LLMs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google)
- You want custom AI agents with different personalities
- You use Notion and want direct integration
- You prefer a managed cloud option (app.khoj.dev)
- You need image/audio generation features
- You work with Org-mode files
Architecture Comparison
GNO: TypeScript/Bun, SQLite + node-llama-cpp, designed for CLI and MCP integration. Single-user, local-first, zero external dependencies.
Khoj: Python/TypeScript hybrid, PostgreSQL + pgvector, designed as a personal AI platform. Supports cloud or self-hosted, multi-user capable, requires Docker for full features.