ArchestackGitHub ↗ (opens in a new tab)

#55th of 15 in RAG and knowledge

SurfSense

Offline NotebookLM alternative that turns documents into decks, reports and podcasts

Documentation ↗ (opens in a new tab)Website ↗ (opens in a new tab)Repository on GitHub ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Stars
16.3k
License
custom license
Last commit
Oct 2026
Last release
Oct 2026

Overview

SurfSense indexes local PDFs, Office files and images into SQLite, answers with citations and turns sources into summaries, flashcards, quizzes, mind maps, editable pptx/docx/xlsx and offline podcasts (Kokoro-82M). It runs a local Qwen3 (six sizes from 0.5 GB) or any OpenAI-compatible API, egress off by default. The supported path is a desktop installer; the Docker stack is community-supported.

Who it is for: individuals handling documents that cannot leave the machine

Its own README calls it an alternative to NotebookLM.

Strengths

  • Parser, retrieval model and podcast voice ship in the installer; works with networking off
  • Egress panel off by default, no telemetry or crash reporting
  • Produces editable pptx, docx and xlsx files rather than chat only
  • No account required; keys stored in the OS keychain

Weaknesses

  • Primary product is a desktop app, not a server
  • Self-hosted Docker stack has no SLA and no hosted service behind it
  • Hosted web app retired; export window closes 2026-10-18
  • Plugins and priority support are behind a paid licence; no video overviews

What it needs

  • no GPU
  • Docker + Compose
  • Models: local Qwen3 in six sizes from 0.5 GB, any OpenAI-compatible API
  • README: alternative to NotebookLM

Also in RAG and knowledge

See all 15
Also in RAG and knowledge
RankProjectScore
1LightRAGGraph-plus-vector RAG server with web UI and Ollama-compatible API40.1k stars, MIT76 out of 100
2Open NotebookSelf-hosted NotebookLM alternative with podcasts and 20+ model providers40k stars, MIT75 out of 100
3RAGFlowRAG engine with document parsing, agentic retrieval and citations Live demo ↗ (opens in a new tab)92k stars, Apache-2.072 out of 100
#4WeKnoraEnterprise knowledge base combining RAG Q&A, agents and generated wikis33k stars, custom license68 out of 100
#6MaxKBEnterprise knowledge-base agent platform with RAG, workflows and MCP tools22.9k stars, GPL-3.066 out of 100