Best open-source alternatives to Perplexity

1. Research and write with a private NotebookLM alternative
   ★ 16.8kstars
   SurfSense by MODSetter · Free alternative to NotebookLM, Perplexity
   Research across the web and your own files
   Some setupSelf-hosted appHealthy
2. Get a detailed research report on any topic
   ★ 30.5kstars
   gpt-researcher by assafelovic · Free alternative to ChatGPT Deep Research, Perplexity
   Writes cited research reports
   Some setupSelf-hosted appHealthy
3. Run your own AI search engine with a rich interface
   ★ 9.3kstars
   morphic by miurla
   A clean AI search engine you can host
   Some setupSelf-hosted appHealthy
4. Run deep research privately with local AI models
   ★ 9.5kstars
   local-deep-research by LearningCircuit
   Deep research with local models
   Some setupSelf-hosted appHealthy
5. Search the web privately without being tracked
   ★ 39.2kstars
   searxng by searxng · Free alternative to Google Search
   The private search engine many of these use
   Some setupSelf-hosted app▶ Try onlineHealthy

Ranked for people new to AI: ease of use first, then quality, upkeep and popularity. Last checked 4 Nov 2026.

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