Free trial
No trial exists because there is nothing to subscribe to: the software is free and open source, with no account and no usage quota.
Learn moreSurfSense
Self-hosted, air-gapped research notebook with no account
Beginner
What is SurfSense?
SurfSense is an open source, air-gapped NotebookLM alternative that installs as a desktop app on Windows, macOS and Linux. It keeps your document index on your own disk, runs local models or your own hosted API keys, and turns sources into slides, reports, podcasts and study material without an account.
SurfSense is an open source desktop research notebook built as a private answer to NotebookLM. It installs like any ordinary application on Windows, macOS or Linux, keeps its document index in your own user folder, and can run entirely offline. There is no sign-up screen, no workspace invite and no cloud copy of your sources. The only identity involved is your computer's local user account, and deleting the index folder removes the data for good. Model choice is a setting rather than a fixed decision. The installer bundles llama.cpp, and a one-time setup screen asks you to pick a small local model such as Qwen or Gemma that runs on the CPU. After that single download, documents can be added and queried with the network cable unplugged. Users who prefer hosted quality can instead paste a key for OpenAI, Anthropic or any OpenAI-compatible provider, and the key stays on the machine that uses it. Beyond chat over your sources, SurfSense turns indexed material into deliverables. The homepage advertises twelve artifact formats, including slide decks, reports, podcasts, quizzes, flashcards, mind maps, infographics and images, plus export options such as Markdown, Word, PDF, HTML and spreadsheets. Eight plugins extend the agent with live data from Google Search, YouTube, TikTok, Google Maps, Amazon, Walmart, Indeed and general web crawling, and the plugin registry accepts pull requests from the public repository. The target audience is people with files they are not allowed to upload: lawyers working with contracts, accountants handling ledgers, consultants and engineers with inspection reports, and academic researchers. Against NotebookLM, the difference is structural rather than cosmetic, since Google's product requires an account, uses Gemini only and cannot run offline. Against Open Notebook, the contrast is in setup effort: SurfSense ships a normal installer instead of a Docker stack and bundles model selection on first launch. The tradeoff is that everything local depends on your own hardware. A sunset notice on the site states that SurfSense is moving to a local app, so buyers should check the current download status before committing a workflow to it.
How do you use SurfSense?
1Download the desktop installer
Grab the build for Windows, macOS or Linux from the downloads page. SurfSense ships as a standard installer with llama.cpp included, so no Docker or terminal commands are involved.
2Pick a local model on first launch
The one-time setup screen offers a small language model that runs on your CPU, such as Qwen or Gemma. That download is the only network step needed before offline use.3Add your sources to the local index
Import the documents you want to research. Everything is written to an index folder inside your user directory, and deleting that folder removes the data completely.4Ask questions across your sources
Chat with the indexed material and check cited passages. With a local model selected, this step works with the network connection switched off.5Generate artifacts and export them
Turn the same sources into slides, a report, a podcast, a quiz or a mind map, then export to Markdown, Word, PDF, HTML or a spreadsheet. Files stay on the same machine.6Optionally extend with plugins
Add plugins from the public registry to give the agent live data from search, video, mapping or shopping platforms. Review the supported model list in the docs first.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Runs fully offline once a local model is downloaded, with no account or sign-in at any pointAI
- Model choice is flexible: bundled local Qwen or Gemma, or your own OpenAI, Anthropic or compatible keyAI
- Normal desktop installer with llama.cpp included, avoiding a Docker or terminal setupAI
- Twelve artifact formats and multiple export types from a single indexed source setAI
- Source code is public and auditable, which suits regulated and confidential workAI
Cons
- Site carries a sunset notice about moving to a local app, so product continuity needs checkingAI
- Offline quality depends on small CPU models, which trail hosted models on harder reasoningAI
- Live data plugins require network access and undercut the air-gapped premise when enabledAI
- No stated pricing page, SLA or commercial support path on the homepageAI
- Desktop only: no browser, mobile or shared team workspace for collaborative reviewAI
How much does SurfSense cost?
Pricing
The homepage describes SurfSense as free and open source with no account, no quota and no trial. Users pay a provider only if they choose to connect a hosted model with their own key. No paid tiers, licence terms or commercial plans are listed on the site.
Learn moreSupport
Installation and model guidance live in the public documentation site. The homepage lists no helpdesk, email support or service level agreement, so assistance appears to rely on docs and the open source repository.
Learn moreIntegrations
Eight plugins ship today, covering Google Search, YouTube, TikTok, Google Maps, Amazon, Walmart, Indeed and open web crawling. The registry is public and accepts pull requests for new MCP servers.
Learn moreFeatures
Local document index stored on your own disk, offline question answering with a bundled CPU model, and a choice between local Qwen or Gemma and hosted OpenAI, Anthropic or OpenAI-compatible keys. Twelve artifact types cover slides, reports, podcasts, quizzes, flashcards, mind maps, infographics and images, with exports to Markdown, Word, PDF, HTML and spreadsheets. Eight plugins add live web, search, video, mapping and shopping data.
Learn moreFrequently asked questions about SurfSense
How much does SurfSense cost?
The homepage describes SurfSense as free and open source with no account, no quota and no trial. Users pay a provider only if they choose to connect a hosted model with their own key. No paid tiers, licence terms or commercial plans are listed on the site.Does SurfSense offer a free trial?
No trial exists because there is nothing to subscribe to: the software is free and open source, with no account and no usage quota.How do you use SurfSense?
The walkthrough on this page covers 6 steps: 1. Download the desktop installer 2. Pick a local model on first launch 3. Add your sources to the local index 4. Ask questions across your sources 5. Generate artifacts and export them 6. Optionally extend with plugins.What platforms does SurfSense support?
SurfSense is available on MacOS, Windows and Linux.What does SurfSense integrate with?
Eight plugins ship today, covering Google Search, YouTube, TikTok, Google Maps, Amazon, Walmart, Indeed and open web crawling. The registry is public and accepts pull requests for new MCP servers.What are the limitations of SurfSense?
Site carries a sunset notice about moving to a local app, so product continuity needs checking. Offline quality depends on small CPU models, which trail hosted models on harder reasoning. Live data plugins require network access and undercut the air-gapped premise when enabled.
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Added10/21/2026
Platforms
MacOSWindowsLinux
Pricing
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