# Khoj AI - Self-Hostable AI Research App

**Source:** https://www.makeuseof.com/started-using-self-hostable-app-for-research-should-have-sooner/
**Summarized:** 2026-02-23

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## TL;DR

Khoj AI is a middle ground between ChatGPT (too minimal) and NotebookLM (too heavy). Self-hostable, supports custom agents, automations, and your own models via Ollama. Think of it as "NotebookLM + Claude had a baby."

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## What is Khoj AI?

A research assistant that combines web search, document analysis, and LLM chat. Two ways to use:
- **Cloud:** Free tier with Gemini Flash 3 and basic models
- **Self-hosted:** Docker + bring your own model (Ollama supported)

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## Key Features

### 1. Built-in Agents
Pre-configured personas:
- Khoj (default)
- Technical Lead
- Teacher
- Legal Expert

Switch agents per conversation for role-specific responses.

### 2. Slash Commands
| Command | Function |
|---------|----------|
| `/notes` | Pull info only from your uploaded documents |
| `/code` | Launch built-in Python interpreter (can generate graphs via Matplotlib) |
| `/web` | Web search integration |

### 3. Custom Agents
Create your own:
1. Add files to knowledge base
2. Choose model
3. Set input/output modes
4. Done

### 4. Automations
Schedule recurring tasks:
- Daily stock market summaries at 9 AM
- RSS feed fetching at set times
- Results delivered to email automatically

No code required.

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## Self-Hosting Setup

**Requirements:** Docker + decent hardware (local LLMs need beefy machines)

```bash
mkdir ~/.khoj && cd ~/.khoj
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/khoj-ai/khoj/main/docker-compose.yml
nano docker-compose.yml  # Set admin email/password, add API keys
docker-compose up
```

**Access:** http://localhost:3600

**Model options:**
- Use third-party providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini) with API keys
- Use local models via Ollama

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## Why Choose Khoj Over NotebookLM?

| Khoj | NotebookLM |
|------|------------|
| Self-hostable | Cloud only |
| Custom agents | Fixed structure |
| Automations | Manual queries |
| Bring your own model | Google models only |
| Middle ground complexity | Heavy, structured |

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## Use Cases

- **Students:** Research, understanding topics (not copy-pasting assignments)
- **Work:** Document analysis, research workflows
- **Personal projects:** Custom agents for specific domains

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## Caveats

- LLMs can hallucinate — always verify important info (legal, medical)
- Local models need strong hardware
- Accuracy depends on model choice

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## Bottom Line

Khoj fills the gap between minimal chat interfaces and heavy research tools. Self-hosting gives you full stack ownership—own, don't rent.