GPT Researcher vs SurfSense
Short answer
GPT Researcher: Open-source deep research agent that browses the web and local documents and writes cited reports. SurfSense: Open-source NotebookLM / Perplexity-style research workspace you can self-host. Both are in our AI search & research assistants category.
Choose GPT Researcher if you want: larger community (30.3k vs 16.6k GitHub stars).
SurfSense publishes no official RAM figure, so we cannot compare hosting cost directly.
Last updated · computed from each project's official docs and live GitHub data · sources
GPT Researcher vs SurfSense side by side
| GPT Researcher | SurfSense | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI search & research assistants | AI search & research assistants |
| What it is | Open-source deep research agent that browses the web and local documents and writes cited reports. | Open-source NotebookLM / Perplexity-style research workspace you can self-host. |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| License type | Permissive | Permissive |
| License conditions | Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. | Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep the Apache-2.0 license and notices. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| GitHub stars | 30.3k | 16.6k |
| Last commit | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 21, 2026 |
| Latest release | v3.7.0 | v2.2.3 |
| Minimum hardware | 1 vCPU · 2 GB RAM · 50 GB disk | Not published |
| Recommended hardware | Not published | Not published |
| RAM measured by us | Not tested yet | Not tested yet |
| GPU | Not required / not stated | Optional. Set SURFSENSE_VARIANT=cuda (or cuda126) and the GPU Compose overlay when you want NVIDIA acceleration; CPU images are the default. |
| Est. server cost | from €11.99/mo | Not estimated |
| Deploy method | Docker Compose | Docker Compose |
| Known gotchas | 3 listed | 4 listed |
| Telemetry | Not documented | Off by default (opt-in) |
| Calls home by default | Yes, by default | Not documented |
| SSO (OIDC / SAML / LDAP) | Not documented | Not documented |
| Audit log | Not documented | Not documented |
| RBAC | Not documented | Not documented |
| Details | Full GPT Researcher guide → | Full SurfSense guide → |
Key differences
- Official hardware: GPT Researcher: minimum 1 vCPU · 2 GB RAM · 50 GB disk. SurfSense: not published.
- GPU: GPT Researcher: not required or not stated. SurfSense: optional / see notes.
- Est. server cost: GPT Researcher: from €11.99/mo. SurfSense: not estimated (no official RAM figure).
- GitHub stars: GPT Researcher: 30.3k. SurfSense: 16.6k.
- Last commit: GPT Researcher: Oct 10, 2026. SurfSense: Oct 21, 2026.
- Latest release: GPT Researcher: v3.7.0 (Sep 26, 2026). SurfSense: v2.2.3 (Oct 21, 2026).
Same for both: Category: AI search & research assistants; License: Apache-2.0 (Permissive); Deploy: Docker Compose · multi-container stack; Status: Active.
GPT Researcher vs SurfSense: FAQ
GPT Researcher or SurfSense: which should a small business choose?
Choose GPT Researcher if you want: larger community (30.3k vs 16.6k GitHub stars). SurfSense publishes no official RAM figure, so we cannot compare hosting cost directly.
Which is cheaper to self-host, GPT Researcher or SurfSense?
GPT Researcher: from €11.99/mo. SurfSense: not estimated (no official RAM figure). Our estimate is the cheapest Hetzner Cloud plan that meets each project's official RAM and vCPU figure; it covers the server only.
How much hardware do GPT Researcher and SurfSense need?
GPT Researcher: minimum 1 vCPU · 2 GB RAM · 50 GB disk. SurfSense: not published.
What is the license difference between GPT Researcher and SurfSense?
GPT Researcher: Apache-2.0 (Permissive). Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. SurfSense: Apache-2.0 (Permissive). Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep the Apache-2.0 license and notices. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Is GPT Researcher or SurfSense more actively maintained?
GPT Researcher: Active, last commit Oct 10, 2026. SurfSense: Active, last commit Oct 21, 2026. GitHub data refreshed Oct 25, 2026.
Which is easier to deploy, GPT Researcher or SurfSense?
GPT Researcher installs via Docker Compose (multi-container stack); SurfSense via Docker Compose (multi-container stack). GPT Researcher lists 3 known gotchas and SurfSense lists 4; see each app page.
Related
- GPT Researcher self-hosting guide · SurfSense self-hosting guide
- All GPT Researcher alternatives, ranked
- All SurfSense alternatives, ranked
- GPT Researcher vs Khoj
- GPT Researcher vs Vane (formerly Perplexica)
- Khoj vs SurfSense
- SurfSense vs Vane (formerly Perplexica)
- Add a third app in the interactive comparison
Sources
- GPT Researcher GitHub repository: github.com/assafelovic/gpt-researcher
- GPT Researcher documentation: docs.gptr.dev/
- GPT Researcher license: github.com/assafelovic/gpt-researcher/blob/main/LICENSE
- GPT Researcher hardware requirements: docs.gptr.dev/docs/gpt-researcher/getting-started/linux-deployment
- GPT Researcher deploy instructions: docs.gptr.dev/docs/gpt-researcher/getting-started/getting-started-with-docker
- SurfSense GitHub repository: github.com/MODSetter/SurfSense
- SurfSense documentation, SurfSense hardware requirements, SurfSense deploy instructions: www.surfsense.com/docs/docker-installation
- SurfSense license: github.com/MODSetter/SurfSense/blob/main/LICENSE
- Hetzner Cloud pricing used for cost estimates (read 2026-10-22): www.hetzner.com/cloud/regular-performance
- GitHub REST API (stars, commits, releases): docs.github.com/en/rest
Every value is generated from the same verified data as the app pages. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.