What is SurfSense?

SurfSense is an open-source platform that serves as a NotebookLM alternative for open web research. It enables users and AI agents to pull live data from various platforms like Reddit, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Indeed, Google Maps, and Google Search through a single platform, API, or MCP server. It combines a research workspace for humans with live-data primitives for AI agents, offering connectors that return structured data.

How to use SurfSense?

Start by signing in with Google or creating an account. You can use the platform's research workspace to ask questions and get cited answers, or use the REST API and MCP server to integrate SurfSense connectors into your own applications and AI agents. For self-hosting, you can run the open-source version on your own infrastructure.

Core features of SurfSense

Live web research with cited answers
Platform connectors for Reddit, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Google Maps, Google Search, Indeed, Amazon, Walmart, and web crawling
REST API and MCP server for AI agent integration
Research workspace with knowledge base and artifacts (podcasts, videos)
Scheduled and event-triggered automations for briefs, alerts, and monitoring
Self-hostable open-source platform
Desktop app for macOS