SurfSense
Research the open web with real-time data from Reddit, YouTube, TikTok, Indeed, and more. Access structured intelligence via API or MCP server for AI agents and workflows.
SurfSense is an open-source alternative to:
SurfSense is an open-source alternative to NotebookLM designed for live web research. It enables users and AI agents to pull real-time data from platforms like Reddit, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Indeed, Google Maps, and Google Search through a unified platform, API, or MCP server.
Key Features
- Live Web Research: Agent-based crawling of live sources to synthesize cited answers, avoiding stale indexes.
- Multi-Platform Connectors: 10+ connectors (Reddit, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Google Maps, etc.) providing platform-native REST APIs for structured data extraction.
- API & MCP Server Access: Integrate with your own apps or AI agents using SurfSense's API or MCP server for live data feeds.
- Automations & Artifacts: Generate podcasts, videos, and other artifacts from research data.
- Desktop App: Native Linux application for offline research workflows.
- Deep Research Capabilities: Supports competitive intelligence, academic literature scans, financial research, and AI overview tracking.
Tech / Self-Hosting
SurfSense is open-source and can be self-hosted. The project provides a desktop app (AppImage) and supports integration via API or MCP server. The connectors are designed to bypass official API rate limits and quotas, offering a scalable solution for real-time data extraction.