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Petal vs SurfSense: catalog facts
Petal	SurfSense
Freemium Free to start, with paid options for more use.	Free Free and open source to self-host.
Web	Web, Self-hosted
Answers cite the source documents Document storage with automatic metadata extraction	Can run air-gapped with your data kept private Answers questions over your own documents and connected sources
Documents are stored in Petal's cloud Requires an account	Requires setting up and maintaining your own server Fast pace of change can mean frequent updates
Web application	Self-hosted
Closed source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
Account needed	No account needed
Needs internet	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 26, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 26, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.