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SurfSense

Air-gapped, open-source AI agent that analyzes and edits documents.

Free alternative to NotebookLM

Download & runFreeWindows · macOS · Linux★ 16,868 Free local AINotesPrivacy

It is a desktop app alternative to NotebookLM that runs on your computer without requiring an account. You can research, summarize, and edit PDFs, Word docs, spreadsheets, and recordings while keeping your files private. You can connect it to local models or OpenAI-compatible remote APIs.

✓ Good for

Anyone handling confidential documents who wants a private NotebookLM alternative.

✕ Skip it if

People happy uploading files to Google NotebookLM or cloud AI.

How to start

  1. Download and install the desktop app for your OS.
  2. Complete initial onboarding and drop your documents into sources.
  3. Ask the agent to research, extract, or edit files.

Office format conversions require LibreOffice, which must be installed separately.

Get it →GitHub repo

Not sure how to install, or if it’s safe? Read the beginner guide

FAQ

Is SurfSense free?

Yes, SurfSense is completely free and open-source under the Apache-2.0 license. You can connect it to free local models or use your own OpenAI-compatible API keys.

Is SurfSense safe to download?

It is open source (Apache-2.0 license) with 16,868 GitHub stars, last updated 2026-11-12. Download only from the official link on this page, and scan the file before installing: see the safety checklist in our beginner guide.

Does SurfSense work offline?

Yes, SurfSense runs locally on your computer and can operate in an air-gapped, offline mode when paired with local AI models.

Compiled from the project README. 16,868 GitHub stars (2026-11-13) · License Apache-2.0 · Last update 2026-11-12