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Christian
Christian

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Document Chat: Open Source AI-Powered Document Management

#rag #documentchat #chatbot #documentmanagement

I recently launched Document Chat - a completely free, open-source platform that lets you upload documents and have intelligent AI conversations with them. Built with Next.js 15, powered by multiple AI providers, and ready to deploy in minutes.
🌐 Test it out: https://document-chat-system.vercel.app
💻 GitHub: https://github.com/watat83/document-chat-system
🎥 Watch Video Explainer: https://youtu.be/P42nlCmicVM

The Problem

We're drowning in documents. PDFs, Word files, research papers, contracts, manuals, reports - they pile up faster than we can read them. And when we need specific information? We spend hours searching, skimming, and hoping we haven't missed something important.
AI assistants like ChatGPT have shown us a better way - natural language conversations. But there's a catch: they don't know about YOUR documents. Sure, you can copy-paste snippets, but that's manual, tedious, and limited by context windows.
What if your documents could just… talk to you?
That's exactly what Document Chat System does. And unlike expensive proprietary solutions, it's completely free, open source, and yours to control.

What Is Document Chat System?

Document Chat System is a production-ready, open-source platform that combines document management with AI-powered conversational interfaces. Think of it as your personal AI librarian that has read every document you've uploaded and can answer questions about them instantly.

Key Features
✅ Multi-Format Support - PDFs, Word documents, images (with OCR), text files, and more
✅ Multiple AI Providers - OpenRouter (100+ models), OpenAI, ImageRouter for image generation
✅ Semantic Search - Vector embeddings with Pinecone or pgvector for accurate retrieval
✅ Multi-Tenant Architecture - Organizations, teams, role-based access control
✅ Background Processing - Inngest for scalable document processing
✅ Optional Monetization - Built-in Stripe integration for SaaS deployment
✅ Self-Hosted - Deploy anywhere, keep full control of your data
✅ MIT Licensed - Use it however you want, commercially or personally

Why I Built This

Over the past year, I've watched devs rebuild the same document chat features from scratch. It's a complex problem that requires:

  • Document parsing and text extraction
  • Vector embeddings and semantic search
  • AI provider integration and streaming
  • User authentication and multi-tenancy
  • File storage and processing pipelines
  • Rate limiting and error handling

Each dev reinventing the wheel, each facing the same challenges, each spending months on infrastructure instead of their unique value proposition.

I wanted to change that.
Document Chat System is the foundation I wish I had when I started building AI applications.

The Technical Stack

For developers curious about what's under the hood:

Frontend

  • Next.js 15 with React 19 and Server Components
  • TypeScript for type safety
  • Tailwind CSS + shadcn/ui for modern, accessible UI
  • Zustand for state management

Backend

  • Next.js API Routes for serverless functions
  • Prisma ORM with PostgreSQL
  • Clerk for authentication
  • Zod for runtime validation

AI & ML

  • OpenRouter - Access to 100+ AI models with a single API
  • OpenAI - GPT-4+, embeddings
  • Anthropic Claude - For longer context windows
  • ImageRouter - Multi-provider image generation

Infrastructure

  • Supabase - File storage and database
  • Pinecone or pgvector - Vector similarity search
  • Inngest - Background job processing
  • Upstash Redis - Caching and rate limiting
  • Docker - Production deployment

Optional

  • Stripe - Subscription billing and payments
  • Sentry - Error tracking and monitoring

Getting Started

Built for Everyone

For Developers

  • Modern Stack - Latest Next.js, React 19, TypeScript
  • Type Safety - End-to-end type safety with Zod validation
  • Clean Architecture - Modular, testable, documented
  • API First - RESTful APIs with clear documentation
  • Extensible - Easy to add new providers or features

For Businesses

  • Enterprise Ready - Multi-tenancy, RBAC, audit logs
  • Scalable - Background processing, caching, edge functions
  • Secure - AES-256 encryption, secure authentication
  • Compliant - Data isolation, configurable retention
  • Cost-Effective - No per-user fees, no vendor lock-in

For Entrepreneurs

  • Monetization Ready - Stripe billing built-in
  • White-Label - Fully customizable branding
  • Quick Launch - Deploy in minutes, not months
  • No Revenue Share - MIT licensed, keep 100% of profits
  • Support Options - Active community and documentation

Community & Contributions

Document Chat System is built by the community, for the community.

How to Contribute
⭐ Star the repo - It helps others discover the project
🐛 Report bugs - Open an issue on GitHub
💡 Suggest features - Share your ideas
🔧 Submit PRs - Code contributions welcome
📖 Improve docs - Help others get started
💬 Join discussions - Share use cases and feedback

Getting Help
📚 Documentation: https://github.com/watat83/document-chat-system
💬 Discord Community: https://discord.com/invite/ubWcC2PS

Pricing & Licensing

The Platform: 100% Free

Document Chat System is MIT licensed. This means:
✅ Free for personal use
✅ Free for commercial use
✅ No attribution required (though appreciated)
✅ Modify and distribute freely
✅ No revenue sharing
✅ No usage limits

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