Open source, local first NotebookLM alternative

[u/FurtiveMirth]

I'm one of the maintainers, so this is self-promotion. I'm posting here because you know NotebookLM best, and I want honest feedback more than upvotes.

SurfSense is an open-source (Apache-2.0) desktop app for Windows, macOS (Apple Silicon) and Linux. There's no account and no terminal. It downloads a local model for you, or you can connect any OpenAI-compatible API. It stays offline unless you choose to connect something.

Two ways to chat:

• Q&A: ask questions and get answers cited from your sources, like NotebookLM. It works with any model.
• Agent: give it a task and it works through it step by step. It searches and reads your sources, then writes Word documents, PDFs, slides and spreadsheets. It can also edit your own files and save the result as a new copy: Word edits come back as tracked changes, and it can fill PDF forms or update Excel formulas.

Same as NotebookLM: mind maps, flashcards, quizzes, audio overviews, and editable .pptx, .docx and .xlsx exports.

What NotebookLM can't do: it edits your files and saves the result as a new copy. Word edits come back as tracked changes. It also fills PDF forms, merges or splits PDFs, and updates Excel formulas. It reads scanned PDFs with OCR, and it works with any model.

Where it's worse:

• No video overviews.
• The audio sounds worse. It's voiced on your machine by default, and it isn't Google's hosts. If audio is why you use NotebookLM, stay there.
• Podcasts come out as WAV, not MP3.
• Images and infographics need an image model, which you have to set up yourself.
• You can only upload files: PDF, Office files, CSV, HTML, Markdown, text and images. No YouTube links or websites.

Your files stay on your disk. There's no telemetry, and the only limit on sources is your disk space. It reads scanned PDFs too.

https://github.com/MODSetter/SurfSense

[u/Outside-Debate-1194]

the local-first angle is what keeps me looking at these, tired of everything wanting a login just to read my own notes