head to head · open source
SurfSense vs QOwnNotes
SurfSense has 16,770 GitHub stars, 1,598 forks, 130 open issues and last shipped yesterday. QOwnNotes has 5,942 stars, 498 forks, 63 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. SurfSense leads on adoption by 182% (16,770 vs 5,942 stars). SurfSense is written in Python under Apache-2.0; QOwnNotes is written in C++ under GPL-2.0. SurfSense has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, QOwnNotes 8%. SurfSense was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| SurfSense | QOwnNotes | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 17K | ★ 5.9K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-11-04 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.6K | ⑂ 498 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick SurfSense if
- You weight community size — 17K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick QOwnNotes if
- You want the QOwnNotes feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and QOwnNotes fits your workflow better
About SurfSense
English Español Português हिन्दी 简体中文 SurfSense: The Open Source NotebookLM Alternative for Open Web Research SurfSense is the open source NotebookLM alternative for AI agents , an open web research platform with live data connectors. Your agents research the live web with structured data from Reddit, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Amazon, Walmart, Google Maps, Google Search, Indeed, and any page on the open web , through one REST API or MCP server . Scheduled and event triggered agents turn what they find into briefs and alerts, and a built in knowledge base keeps every finding searchable with citations. [!NOTE]…
read the full SurfSense overview →
About QOwnNotes
QOwnNotes Installation Changelog Issues Shortcuts Documentation Privacy Policy Screenshots Nextcloud API App ownCloud API App Matrix room Telegram Group IRC Chat Mastodon QOwnNotes Web Companion Firefox extension QOwnNotes Web Companion Chrome extension QOwnNotes Web App QOwnNotes Tor Hidden Service QOwnNotes is the open source notepad with Markdown support and todo list manager for GNU/Linux , macOS and Windows , that works together with Nextcloud Notes and ownCloud Notes . You are able to write down your thoughts with QOwnNotes and edit or search for them later from your mobile device , like with QOwnNotes…
read the full QOwnNotes overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is SurfSense or QOwnNotes more popular?
SurfSense has 16,770 GitHub stars and QOwnNotes has 5,942. SurfSense has the larger community by that measure.
Are SurfSense and QOwnNotes free?
Both are open source. SurfSense is licensed under Apache-2.0 and QOwnNotes under GPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between SurfSense and QOwnNotes?
SurfSense is written in Python and QOwnNotes in C++. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, SurfSense or QOwnNotes?
Choose SurfSense if you want the larger community (16,770 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose QOwnNotes if its feature set, stack or GPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.