Khoj review
A self-hosted assistant for searching personal knowledge and researching the web.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Khoj is an open-source personal AI application for chatting with documents and online information, searching knowledge bases, and creating custom agents. It suits people who want one assistant for personal research and knowledge retrieval, particularly those comfortable with self-hosting. Supported document formats include PDFs, Markdown, Word documents, Org-mode files, images, and Notion pages. Access is available through a browser, desktop app, Emacs, Obsidian, or WhatsApp, and the software can run with local or online AI models.
Research features reach beyond document chat. Khoj offers natural-language semantic search and web search with cited references, helping users move between their own knowledge and online information. Custom agents can use configurable prompts and tools, while scheduled research automations can send email notifications. Voice chat and image generation from text prompts broaden the available interactions. The desktop companion app supports file and folder synchronization. Integrations include Notion, GitHub, Obsidian, Emacs, WhatsApp, and Ollama, making the product a fit for people who already keep information in those tools.
Khoj is free and open source, with self-hosted and desktop deployment options rather than a current cloud offering: Khoj Cloud shut down on April 15, 2026. That makes control over deployment and the choice of local or online models central considerations. Support channels include email, community, and documentation. Mobile apps are not available, so people who need a dedicated phone app should look elsewhere. Choose Khoj for a self-hosted research assistant centered on documents, search, and automation; choose another option if a hosted service or mobile access is essential.
Khoj pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Chats with documents and web results, with cited references for online search
- Custom agents, scheduled research, email notifications, and voice chat
- Open-source self-hosting supports local or online AI models
- Where it doesn't
- Requires self-hosting rather than a cloud plan
- No mobile apps are listed among supported platforms
- Desktop file and folder synchronization depends on its companion app
Khoj fact sheet, pricing and score →
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