Dify on its own vs Dify + LangBot
Dify builds the AI app; LangBot delivers it to chat platforms. Compare Dify's own publishing options with running a Dify app through LangBot on Discord, Telegram, Slack, WeCom, Lark, DingTalk and QQ.
Last reviewed:
In short
Dify is where you build the app: prompts, workflows, tools and knowledge. Its built-in publishing gives you a web app, an embeddable chat widget and a backend API. LangBot is not a replacement for Dify: it calls your published Dify app and handles the messaging platforms, sessions, group-chat rules and delivery.
| Dify + LangBot | Dify on its own | |
|---|---|---|
| Get it running | cloud.langbot.app: connect your Dify app with no deployment, or self-host LangBot | Dify Cloud or self-hosted Dify; chat-app bridges are up to you |
| Set-up help | Workspace Assistant creates the pipeline and bots from a description, after you confirm | — |
| Mix and switch back ends | Run Dify alongside LangBot Models, n8n, Coze or Langflow and switch per pipeline | Dify only |
| Role | Messaging layer: platform adapters, sessions, triggers, delivery | App builder: prompts, Chatflow, Agent, Workflow, knowledge |
| Chat platforms | Discord, Telegram, Slack, LINE, WeCom, Lark, DingTalk, QQ, WeChat Official Account, KOOK, Mattermost and more | Web app, embedded widget and API; messaging channels need extra integration |
| Group chat behaviour | Mention/prefix triggers, access control, rate limits per pipeline | Not a concern of the Dify app itself |
| Same app on many platforms | Bind one pipeline to many bots | Build one integration per channel |
| Licence | Apache 2.0 | Dify Open Source License (Apache 2.0 based, with extra conditions) |
What LangBot gives you out of the box
No deployment: cloud.langbot.app
Sign up and build a bot in your browser. Free plan, public URL included.
cloud.langbot.app- Sign up
- Pick a platform
- Bot online
Details ›
Sign up at cloud.langbot.app and build a bot in the browser with a setup wizard. There is a free plan, the public HTTPS URL webhook platforms need is included, and a Dedicated environment is available for production. Self-hosting stays free and unlimited.
Official model service: LangBot Models
Top models ready to use. No API key to apply for.
- Claude
- GPT
- Gemini
- DeepSeek
- Qwen
- GLM
- Kimi
- Grok
No API key neededDetails ›
Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, Qwen, GLM, Kimi, Grok and more, plus embedding, rerank and speech models, with no model API key to obtain. Cloud plans include monthly credits; self-hosted instances signed in with a LangBot Space account get the models added automatically with a free starter quota. Your own API keys keep working alongside.
Control your bots in natural language
Say what should change. Agents and the assistant carry it out after you approve.
In the support group, only answer when someone @mentions the bot, and welcome new members.Routing: reply on @mentiongroup.member_joined → welcomeApplied after you confirmDetails ›
Agents, a unified API and standard platform events and APIs work together. Every Workspace operation (bots, routing, pipelines, models, knowledge bases, monitoring) is one catalog shared by the HTTP API, the MCP server, the Workspace Assistant and plugins, and adapters expose standard platform APIs such as send, reply, edit and recall messages, query groups and members, and, where the platform allows, mute or remove members. So you can change how a bot behaves by telling the Workspace Assistant, or let an authorized agent act on the platform from a chat instruction. Writes need your confirmation or an explicit permission grant.
Workspace Assistant
Describe the goal; review the proposed changes; confirm.
Proposed changes
- Create pipeline “Support”
- Attach knowledge base “FAQ”
- Bind to the WeCom bot
ConfirmDetails ›
Describe what you want in plain language. The assistant inspects your existing models, knowledge bases and pipelines, proposes a configuration and applies it only after you confirm each change.
Rich APIs and flexible tools
One set of operations behind HTTP, MCP, CLI and webhooks; agents get MCP, Skills, a sandbox and knowledge bases.
One Workspace API
HTTP APIMCP ServerlbctlWebhooksAgent tools
MCPSkillsSandboxRAGEventsDetails ›
An HTTP Service API with API keys, LangBot's own MCP server, the
lbctlCLI and outgoing event webhooks for your systems. Agents can use MCP tools (stdio and HTTP), Skills, a code sandbox (Docker, nsjail or E2B), knowledge bases with rerank, and platform events such as member joins, reactions and card clicks.Rich, stable plugin interfaces
Seven component types in an isolated runtime, with permissions you grant.
Plugin Runtime · isolated process
RunnerToolCommandEventListenerKnowledgeEngineParserPageCertified PluginsDetails ›
Plugins run in a separate Plugin Runtime process and are hot-pluggable. The Python SDK offers Runner, Tool, Command, EventListener, KnowledgeEngine, Parser and Page components, and a Workspace API whose operations a plugin must declare and a member must grant. The LangBot Space marketplace lists plugins, MCP servers and Skills, with reviewed Certified Plugins.
Open source, with official backing
Apache 2.0, official hosting and enterprise support.
Apache 2.0Free commercial useOfficial CloudEnterprise SupportDetails ›
Apache 2.0 with free commercial use, an official managed service, and optional Enterprise Support with contracts and invoices.
When Dify alone is enough
If your users talk to the assistant in a browser, Dify's web app or embedded widget is the simplest option, and the API covers custom front ends.
When to add LangBot
- Your users are in chat apps: Slack, Discord, Telegram, WeCom, Lark, DingTalk, QQ or WeChat.
- You want the same Dify app on several platforms without writing an adapter for each.
- You need group-chat rules (respond only when mentioned), per-pipeline access control and conversation monitoring.
LangBot supports Dify Chat Assistant (including Chatflow), Agent and Workflow apps. Setup takes the Dify API base URL and an app API key: see the Dify runner guide or a platform recipe such as Dify on Telegram.