Chatd vs SurfSense
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted self-hosted ai options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Chatd | SurfSense |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 14 · At risk | 95 · Excellent |
| Category | Self-Hosted AI | Self-Hosted AI |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 8,192 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | binary | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,079 | ★ 16,255 |
| First released | 2023 | 2024 |
| Replaces | NotebookLM | NotebookLM, Perplexity |
What are Chatd and SurfSense?
Chatd
Chatd is a desktop application for chatting with your own documents using a local AI model. It bundles its own LLM server so no setup beyond the install is required.
- Local document chat
- Bundled LLM server
- No configuration needed
- Cross-platform desktop app
SurfSense
SurfSense is a self-hosted AI research assistant that connects to your documents, browser history, and external sources to answer questions with citations. It functions as a private alternative to NotebookLM and Perplexity.
- Cited research answers
- Connectors for many sources
- Local and cloud LLM support
- Podcast generation
Chatd vs SurfSense: key differences
Chatd is written in JavaScript, while SurfSense is built with Python. Licensing differs — MIT for Chatd versus Apache-2.0 for SurfSense. SurfSense is the lighter option, starting around 2,048 MB of RAM against 8,192 MB for Chatd. SurfSense has the considerably larger community, at 16,255 GitHub stars versus 1,079. SurfSense lists first-class Docker deployment; Chatd does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Chatd if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Choose SurfSense if…
- Answers with citations
- Many source connectors
- Private NotebookLM alternative
Watch out for
- Young project
- Multi-service stack
Frequently asked questions
Is Chatd or SurfSense better?
Neither is universally better. SurfSense has the larger community, while Chatd is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Chatd and SurfSense free and open-source?
Yes. Chatd is licensed under MIT and SurfSense under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Chatd and SurfSense with Docker?
Chatd: check the project docs for container support. SurfSense: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Chatd or SurfSense?
SurfSense has the smaller minimum footprint at 2,048 MB of RAM, compared to about 8,192 MB for Chatd. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.