Data and RAG · AI agent
Dash: review, pricing, security and alternatives
Dash is an open-source AI agent published by Agno, in the data and rag family. Dash is a data agent that uses six layers of context to ground its answers and incorporates learning from successive queries. Its repository has 2,274 stars and its last commit is from July 10, 2026.
What Dash does
Dash belongs to the data and rag family: agents that query databases and company documents to answer questions or produce analyses. On our grid it ranks #11 of the 15 projects of this family listed in the directory.
Who is Dash for?
It is for teams that want an AI to answer from their own documents or databases. Typical tasks people give it:
- query internal documentation in plain language
- ask a database questions without SQL
- index and summarise large file collections
It is a good candidate if your data must stay on your machines.
Access and human control
Its documentation does not detail the access granted to the agent: check the settings before connecting it to your accounts.
We could not establish whether it asks for human approval before sensitive actions: test it first on an unimportant account or folder.
Dash pricing
The code is free, under the Apache-2.0 licence.
Getting started with Dash
- Install it: the project ships as a Python package (install with
piporuv). The exact command is in the repository README. - Create an API key with the model provider and put it in an environment variable, never in a shared or versioned file.
- Give it a first playground with nothing at stake: a test folder, a secondary account or a throwaway project. Only open your real accounts once you have seen how it behaves.
- Give it a short, checkable task, review the result and its action log, then raise the difficulty step by step.
Security: risk level
Give it read-only access and check generated queries before any data change.
Three habits: least privilege (minimal rights, dedicated keys), human approval for irreversible actions, a sandbox for code execution. The AI agent security check reviews your setup in a few minutes.
Project activity and releases
Created on January 30, 2026, the agno-agi/dash repository has 2,274 stars, 254 forks and 4 open issues, with 67 commits in total. Last change 4 months ago.
Over the last 52 weeks: 64 commits, an average of 1.2 per week.
The project publishes no numbered releases on GitHub: you install it from the main branch or a package manager.
Dash vs other data and rag
GitHub stars of the best-rated open-source projects in the data and rag family. Stars measure attention, not quality: a heavily promoted project collects them fast, a specialised tool will have few.
Dash and other data and rag at a glance
The 7 best-ranked agents in the same family, 7 of them open source. The score out of 100 only applies to open-source projects; for proprietary services we show the published entry price. A dash marks information the documentation does not state.
| Agent | Model | Score | Stars or entry price | Self-hostable | Human approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dash | open source | 45 | 2.3K ★ | yes | – |
| RAGFlow | open source | 91 | 92.8K ★ | yes | – |
| LlamaIndex | open source | 85 | 52.6K ★ | yes | – |
| MaxKB | open source | 83 | 23K ★ | yes | – |
| PageIndex | open source | 79 | 39.6K ★ | yes | – |
| txtai | open source | 78 | 13K ★ | yes | – |
| WeKnora | open source | 76 | 35.3K ★ | yes | – |
| Yuxi | open source | 69 | 7.5K ★ | yes | – |
How we rated it
Score: 45/100, computed only from public, verifiable data, with no subjective testing or partnership:
- Adoption 16/40: 2,274 stars on a log scale (40 points from about 200,000).
- Activity 9/30: last commit 4 months ago, 0 releases in six months, 64 commits in a year.
- Framework 20/30: licence, default human approval, self-hosting, model choice and documentation site.
The score does not say whether the agent will succeed at your tasks: it measures how solid the project is. The full grid is on the method page.
Verdict
Dash is a project to watch: compare it with the alternatives before adopting it.
Strengths
- Can run on your side: data under control
- Permissive licence (Apache-2.0)
Alternatives
Learn more
Frequently asked questions
Is Dash free?
The software is free (Apache-2.0 licence). You still pay for the model calls, unless you use a local model.
Is Dash safe?
Our risk level: low. Give it minimum rights and approve irreversible actions.
Which models does Dash use?
Its documentation does not specify the supported models.
Can Dash be installed on your own server?
Yes, from the agno-agi/dash repository. Data then stays with you, but security and updates are your job.
What are the alternatives to Dash?
In the same family: RAGFlow, LlamaIndex, MaxKB, and PageIndex.
Dash or RAGFlow: what is the difference?
Both belong to the data and rag family. Dash has 2.3K stars against 92.8K for RAGFlow. The right choice mostly depends on the access you are willing to give it.
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Neutrality. No affiliate links. No vendor pays to be reviewed, rated or ranked. Reviews are directed by François Chollet, neutral and factual, and every data point is dated and sourced. How we score