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SurfSense vs Local Deep Research: catalog facts
SurfSense	Local Deep Research
Free Free and open source to self-host.	Free Free, with source code published on GitHub; cloud model providers may charge.
Web, Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Can run air-gapped with your data kept private Answers questions over your own documents and connected sources	Works with local models or cloud providers Searches arXiv, PubMed and more than ten other sources
Requires setting up and maintaining your own server Fast pace of change can mean frequent updates	Good results with local models need a capable GPU Self-hosting setup is more involved than a hosted service
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 24, 2026

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