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SurfSense vs GPT Researcher: catalog facts
SurfSense	GPT Researcher
Free Free and open source to self-host.	Free Free and open source; you pay for any LLM or search APIs you connect.
Web, Self-hosted	Web, Self-hosted, Command line
Can run air-gapped with your data kept private Answers questions over your own documents and connected sources	Writes cited reports from web and local sources Works with many LLM providers
Requires setting up and maintaining your own server Fast pace of change can mean frequent updates	Requires API keys and some setup Report quality depends on the model and sources used
Self-hosted	Downloadable app, Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
No account needed	No account needed
Works offline	Not stated if it 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.