head to head · open source
SurfSense vs Notesnook
SurfSense has 16,159 GitHub stars, 1,537 forks, 130 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Notesnook has 14,604 stars, 1,007 forks, 1,012 open issues and last shipped yesterday. SurfSense leads on adoption by 11% (16,159 vs 14,604 stars). SurfSense is written in Python under a custom or non-standard licence; Notesnook is written in TypeScript under GPL-3.0. SurfSense has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, Notesnook 7%. 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 | Notesnook | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 16K | ★ 15K |
| License | Custom / other | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.5K | ⑂ 1.0K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick SurfSense if
- You weight community size — 16K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Notesnook if
- You want the Notesnook feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Notesnook fits your workflow better
About SurfSense
SurfSense is an open source NotebookLM alternative and privacy first knowledge base that can work with any AI model chosen by the user. It is a Python productivity and knowledge management project in the agent, RAG, LangChain, LangGraph, FastAPI, Next.js, and Ollama ecosystem. The project presents itself as an open web research platform for AI agents, with live data connectors and a built in knowledge base that keeps findings searchable with citations.
read the full SurfSense overview →
About Notesnook
Notesnook is an open source, end to end encrypted note taking application in the productivity and knowledge management ecosystem. It is presented as a free alternative to Evernote, with clients for the web, desktop, and mobile platforms. The project uses a TypeScript and JavaScript monorepo, React for the interface, React Native for mobile apps, and Electron for the desktop app.
read the full Notesnook overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is SurfSense or Notesnook more popular?
SurfSense has 16,159 GitHub stars and Notesnook has 14,604. SurfSense has the larger community by that measure.
Are SurfSense and Notesnook free?
Both are open source. SurfSense has no licence declared in this registry, and Notesnook is licensed under GPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between SurfSense and Notesnook?
SurfSense is written in Python and Notesnook in TypeScript. 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 Notesnook?
Choose SurfSense if you want the larger community (16,159 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Notesnook if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.