Is SurfSense really free and open-source?

Yes, SurfSense is open-source under the Apache-2.0 license. You can self-host it for free using local models without any subscription or API costs.

Which AI models can I use with SurfSense?

It supports over 100 models, including GPT-4o, Claude 3.5, and Gemini 2.0. You can also run local models via Ollama, vLLM, and LM Studio.

How does SurfSense handle data privacy?

SurfSense is local-first. When self-hosted, your documents and research stay on your device or server, ensuring no corporate monitoring or data leaks.

What file formats are supported for indexing?

It supports a wide range including PDF, DOCX, Markdown, CSV, Excel, MP3, MP4, and even email formats like EML and MSG.

Can I use SurfSense for team collaboration?

Absolutely. It features real-time multiplayer chats, shared Search Spaces, and the ability to comment on specific AI responses with teammate @mentions.

Does it have a podcast generation feature?

Yes, SurfSense can transform long reports, emails, or meeting transcripts into short audio podcasts/MP3 summaries in seconds.

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Knowledge bases

Freemium

SurfSense

Open-source, private AI research assistant. Connect 100+ LLMs to your personal knowledge base, generate podcasts from docs, and collaborate with teams in real-time.

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Rating

Reviews

Upvotes

4 months ago

Listed

Knowledge bases

Research assistant

Open source

Collaboration

Note taking

Data management

RAG

Privacy focused

Tool information

Provider

Decentralised AI

Platforms

Web

Linux

Docker

Self-hosted

Languages

English

API Available

Yes

Added to directory

4 months ago

Last updated

about 2 months ago

Rating

Not available

Pricing

Freemium

About SurfSense

What the tool does and who it's for

SurfSense is an open-source, privacy-focused AI research hub and knowledge management assistant designed as a local-first alternative to NotebookLM and Perplexity. It allows users to centralize data from various sources—including PDFs, Slack, Notion, GitHub, and YouTube—into intelligent 'Search Spaces.' The platform supports over 100 LLMs (including GPT-4, Claude, and Gemini) via OpenRouter or local providers like Ollama and vLLM. SurfSense features a hybrid search engine (combining semantic and full-text search), a podcast generator that converts reports into audio summaries, and real-time collaborative workspaces where teams can chat, comment, and tag members directly on documents.

Key capabilities

Multi-Source Integration: Connect Slack, Notion, GitHub, Google Drive, and local folders.

100+ LLM Support: Use proprietary models like GPT-4 and Claude or local models via Ollama/vLLM.

Real-Time Collaboration: Multiplayer chat with @mentions, shared documents, and live status indicators.

Podcast Generator: Automatically convert documents and reports into short audio summaries/podcasts.

Hybrid Search: Combines semantic and full-text search with Reciprocal Rank Fusion for high accuracy.

Self-Hostable: Deploy via Docker to ensure data never leaves your infrastructure.

Advanced RAG: Features hierarchical indices and a 2-tiered RAG setup for complex querying.

Browser Extension: Save web pages and research articles directly to your knowledge base with one click.

Pricing

Freemium — plans below

Free

500 pages included
$5 in premium credits
Self-hostable
OpenAI text, audio, and image models
Real-time collaborative group chats
Discord support

Pay As You Go

Enterprise

Contact sales

Everything in Pay As You Go
Custom storage limits
Dedicated infrastructure options
SLA and premium support

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