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AI tools comparison

Dify vs BrainSoup: 2026 comparison

Across 8 comparable criteria, Dify wins 4, BrainSoup wins 2, with 2 ties. Dify leads on free tier, interface languages, and platforms; BrainSoup on entry price and data hosting.

8 criteria decidedEdge: Dify

Dify and BrainSoup in brief

Dify and BrainSoup both help you build AI agents, but they place the work in different settings. Dify combines visual workflows, documents and tools with application publishing through an API and deployment on your own infrastructure. BrainSoup focuses on Windows, specialized agents and cooperation between them to automate actions. It lists local data hosting and support for local models through Ollama. Your first decision is therefore about the intended destination: an agent application or coordinated agents working around your Windows environment.

Dify : Dify assembles workflows in a visual editor and creates agents that use multiple tools. It serves people who want to connect documents to assistants, publish applications or host the platform themselves.

BrainSoup : BrainSoup lets Windows users create agents with specialized roles and have them work together. Agents can access user documents and automate Windows actions, with support for local models through Ollama.

They are often weighed against each other by people who hesitate. This page lines up their features point by point (10 criteria), with no partnership with either publisher.

Comparison table

Profile data, checked October 24, 2026.
CriterionDifyBrainSoup
CategoryAI agent buildersAI agent builders
Websitedify.ainurgo-software.com
PublisherLangGenius, Inc.Nurgo Software
CountryUnited StatesFrance
Launched20232023
Pricing modelopen source (public code)paid
Free tierYesNo
Entry price$590 per year$5 per month
Platformsweb browser, APIWindows
LanguagesEnglish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, GermanEnglish
Source codepublicclosed
Site score81/10046/100

Criterion by criterion

For each criterion: why it matters, each one's value and who has the edge. A criterion without data on both sides is not decided.

Free tier

A free tier lets you test the tool on your own examples before paying anything. Dify : yes. BrainSoup : no. Edge: Dify.

Entry price

The first paid plan, per month, gives the minimum cost of regular use; higher plans cost more. Dify : $590 per year. BrainSoup : $5 per month. Edge: BrainSoup.

Public API

An API lets you connect the tool to your software, an automation tool or an AI agent. Dify : yes. BrainSoup : not disclosed. Cannot be decided: data missing on one side.

Data export

Being able to get your content back avoids lock-in the day you want to switch tools. Dify : yes. BrainSoup : not disclosed. Cannot be decided: data missing on one side.

Data hosting

Where data is stored matters for GDPR and client data: the EU or local processing make compliance simpler. Dify : not disclosed. BrainSoup : on device. Edge: BrainSoup.

Interface languages

More interface languages make the tool easier to roll out across an international team. Dify : 5. BrainSoup : 1. Edge: Dify.

Platforms

The more platforms (web, desktop, mobile, extension), the better the tool fits your daily routine. Dify : web browser and API. BrainSoup : Windows. Edge: Dify.

Open source

Public code lets you audit the tool, self-host it and keep using it if the publisher changes course. Dify : yes. BrainSoup : no. Edge: Dify.

Track record

A tool launched several years ago has a longer history: less risk of sudden shutdown, more user feedback. Dify : launched in 2023. BrainSoup : launched in 2023. A tie on this point.

Recognition

The number of reference community lists citing the tool shows how well known it is among practitioners. Dify : cited in 2 lists. BrainSoup : cited in 2 lists. A tie on this point.

In charts

Dify · AccessDify · Access : 25/3025/30BrainSoup · AccessBrainSoup · Access : 10/3010/30Dify · OpennessDify · Openness : 30/3030/30BrainSoup · OpennessBrainSoup · Openness : 0/300/30Dify · TrustDify · Trust : 26/4026/40BrainSoup · TrustBrainSoup · Trust : 36/4036/40
Site score components, Dify in solid colour. The method is the same for all AI tools.
DifyDify : $590$590BrainSoupBrainSoup : $60$60
Entry price over 12 months, excluding tax and add-ons; one user.

Our analysis

Developed by LangGenius and launched in 2023, Dify provides a visual editor for assembling workflows and applications. Its agents can use multiple tools, connect to documents and become part of an application published with an API. That combination suits a project intended to provide a structured service. BrainSoup, also launched in 2023, is developed by Nurgo Software and emphasizes agents with specialized roles that work together. Document access and Windows action automation place its described use closer to the desktop. Both products involve agent creation, but the feature lists point toward different destinations for the work you build.

Dify is described as open source and has a free offering. Its published entry price refers specifically to Professional on Dify Cloud: 590 USD per year, per workspace, billed annually and excluding taxes. BrainSoup is paid software without a free offering. It requires the Nurgo AI Starter subscription at 5 USD per month, with only Lite models included at that level. These prices cover different arrangements and should not be treated as equivalent packages. Limits for Dify’s free offering are unspecified. The scores of 81 and 46 out of 100 concern access and transparency, rather than agent output quality.

Dify has open source code and supports deployment on your own infrastructure. However, the record does not declare data hosting generally, so that deployment option should not be taken as a description of Dify Cloud. Application and workflow definitions can be exported as YAML. BrainSoup lists local hosting and supports local models through Ollama, while keeping its source code closed. Its export options and API availability are not published in the supplied information. Local hosting describes an architectural characteristic, but does not by itself document every data transfer for every possible configuration. Neither record provides a complete confidentiality policy.

Dify lists web and API platforms. Its visual editor and application publishing functions can support work intended to become a service accessed through a technical interface. BrainSoup lists Windows only and provides features aimed at actions within that operating environment, alongside cooperation between specialized agents. Interface language availability also creates a practical constraint: Dify lists five languages without French, while BrainSoup lists one language without French. The single BrainSoup language is not identified here. Details of the available automations are also absent. Your operating system, need for an API and language requirements should therefore shape the everyday fit.

Depending on your situation

The right choice depends on use. For a few common situations, here are the criteria that matter and who wins (Dify value / BrainSoup value).

Personal use on a tight budget

Here, Dify has the edge: it wins 2 of the 3 criteria that matter in this situation, namely free tier (yes / no), entry price ($590 per year / $5 per month), and interface languages (5 / 1).

Business use with client data

Here, BrainSoup has the edge: it wins 1 of the 3 criteria that matter in this situation, namely data hosting (not disclosed / on device), data export (yes / not disclosed), and track record (launched in 2023 / launched in 2023).

Integration with your software

Here, Dify has the edge: it wins 2 of the 3 criteria that matter in this situation, namely public api (yes / not disclosed), open source (yes / no), and platforms (web browser and API / Windows).

Which one to choose?

Choose Dify if…

  • you value free tier (yes)
  • you value interface languages (5)
  • you value platforms (web browser and API)
  • you value open source (yes)

Dify is a logical choice if you want visual workflows, document connections and an application you can publish through an API. Open source code, deployment on your infrastructure and YAML exports may also matter when planning how to maintain the project. A free offering exists, while the quoted Cloud subscription requires an annual commitment for each workspace.

Choose BrainSoup if…

  • you value entry price ($5 per month)
  • you value data hosting (on device)

BrainSoup fits work centered on Windows, especially when you want specialized agents to cooperate on documents and desktop actions. Its listed local hosting and support for Ollama may influence that choice. The entry subscription covers Lite models only. Keep the language limitation in mind, together with the absence of published details about an API or export options.

Strengths and limits of each

Dify

  • + Free tier to try it
  • + Public API
  • + Public source code
  • − More expensive than its category median
  • − Data hosting not disclosed

BrainSoup

  • + Cheaper than its category median
  • + Local processing available
  • + Established since 2023
  • − No free tier
  • − Data export not documented

The best test is still yours: take three real tasks from your day and give them to both for a week.

What about the others?

If neither suits you, look at Agenta, AutoGen, Hermes Agent, Mastra, OpenClaw, and Botpress.

Related comparisons:

Conclusion

Dify is oriented toward building and publishing agent applications, with documented deployment and definition export options. BrainSoup focuses on specialized agents and automation within Windows. Start with the environment and outcome you need, then compare the subscription conditions. The supplied prices represent different scopes. Access and transparency scores provide context about availability and disclosure; they do not establish automation reliability or the quality of either product’s generated responses.

Verdict

Dify leads on more criteria (4 of 8). That does not make it the best choice for everyone: look first at the criteria that matter to you.

Frequently asked questions

Dify or BrainSoup: which is better?

Dify leads on more criteria (4 of 8). That does not make it the best choice for everyone: look first at the criteria that matter to you.

What is the main difference between Dify and BrainSoup?

Dify leads on free tier (yes vs no), BrainSoup on entry price ($5 per month vs $590 per year).

Are Dify and BrainSoup free?

Free tier: Dify, yes; BrainSoup, no.

Which one is cheaper?

Entry price: Dify, $590 per year; BrainSoup, $5 per month. BrainSoup is cheaper.

Which one protects my data better?

Data hosting: Dify, not disclosed; BrainSoup, on device. For sensitive data, also check the publisher's data processing agreement.

What alternative to Dify and BrainSoup?

In the same family: Agenta, AutoGen, and Hermes Agent.

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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