Docling
RAG & Memory · Free
IBM's fast document conversion and parsing toolkit
At a glance
- API
- Yes
- Available on
- CLI, API
- Open source
- MIT
- GitHub
- 68,851 stars · MIT
What is Docling?
Docling parses documents in many formats, including PDF, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX, HTML, images, and audio. It understands PDF page layout, reading order, table structure, formulas, and more, converts them into a unified representation format (DoclingDocument), and then exports to Markdown, HTML, JSON, and others. It can run locally or in air-gapped environments for sensitive data, and integrates with LangChain, LlamaIndex, Crew AI, and Haystack. It also provides an MCP server, an API server (docling-serve), and a CLI.
- Parsing of many formats, including PDF, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX, HTML, EPUB, images, and audio
- Advanced PDF understanding of page layout, reading order, table structure, code, formulas, and more
- Export to Markdown, HTML, DocTags, lossless JSON, and more
- Local execution for sensitive data and air-gapped environments
- Integration with LangChain, LlamaIndex, Crew AI, and Haystack
- OCR support for scanned PDFs and images
- Audio processing with automatic speech recognition (ASR) models
- MCP server, API server, and CLI provided
Who uses Docling and for what
- Convert diverse documents into structured data for generative AI and agents
- Process documents with sensitive data locally in an air-gapped environment
Pricing
Open source + paid cloud-managed plans
Open-source libraries are free, managed vector DB/memory services are paid based on usage
Estimate based on AI knowledge - please verify on the official site
AI tools similar to Docling (alternatives)
Docling vs. alternatives at a glance
| AI | Pricing | Combos on the map | Connected tools | Free | Cheapest monthly | Korean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Docling | Free | 0 | 4 | — | — | — |
| LlamaParse | Free + paid | 0 | 4 | Yes | $50/mo | No |
| Marker | Free | 0 | 4 | No | — | — |
| Reducto | Free + paid | 0 | 4 | Yes | — | No |
| Unstructured | Free | 0 | 4 | Yes | — | No |
3 of these 5 tools have a free plan. Cheapest paid plan: LlamaParse ($50/mo).
Combo and connection counts are based on the relationships recorded on AI Galaxy Map (2026-10-26); they are not a quality ranking.
Docling on AI Galaxy Map
- One of 21 AI tools in the RAG & Memory field.
- Connected to 4 other tools — #7 in its field.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Docling for free?
Open source + paid cloud-managed plans. Prices can change, so check the official site before paying.
What AI can I use instead of Docling?
Tools that do the same job, such as LlamaParse, Marker, Reducto, Unstructured, are connected to it on the map.
Sources (official pages)
Checked on the official pages on 2026-10-14. Prices and features can change, so check the official site again before paying.