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SurfSense vs Kotaemon: catalog facts
SurfSense	Kotaemon
Free Free and open source to self-host.	Free Free and open source.
Web, Self-hosted	Web, Self-hosted
Can run air-gapped with your data kept private Answers questions over your own documents and connected sources	Chat with your own documents through a web interface Works with local or hosted language models
Requires setting up and maintaining your own server Fast pace of change can mean frequent updates	Needs a server or local setup rather than a simple installer Answer quality depends on the model you connect
Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is 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 23, 2026

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