Top 10 Open Source Alternatives to NotebookLM

CURATED LIST · 10 hand-picked projects · Updated August 23, 2026

Google NotebookLM, now Gemini Notebook, supplies source-grounded research, cited answers, and audio overviews within a managed Google Workspace product. Among self-hosted alternatives, Open Notebook and SurfSense most closely match these notebook and media workflows by offering notebook source isolation alongside audio podcasts or video overviews. The remaining candidates are document retrieval and RAG platforms that replace specific capabilities—such as PDF ingestion, citation generation, workspace search, or note indexing. No single candidate fully recreates the managed product out of the box.

Flat illustration of an open binder-clipped notebook with coral source tabs, evidence lines, and a magnifying loupe

Selection method

Candidates are evaluated by notebook source isolation, explicit citations, document ingestion depth, self-hosting fit, deployment maturity, and licensing clarity rather than GitHub stars.

Notebook and source isolation

Enforcing strict source boundaries per notebook so queries analyze only selected documents.

Explicit citations and grounding

Inline clickable markers pointing directly to retrieved source passages and document pages.

Document parsing depth

Layout-aware extraction for PDFs, web pages, tables, and scanned documents.

Self-hosting feasibility

Ease of deploying via Docker, local execution, or lightweight local containers.

Deployment maturity

Production readiness, connector support, local model runner integration, and API options.

Licensing clarity

Accounting for permissive MIT/Apache terms versus AGPL copyleft, branding requirements, or multi-tenant limits.

The 10 NotebookLM alternatives at a glance

Candidate	License	Status	Focus
#1 Open Notebook lfnovo / Community	MIT	Permissive MIT license	Notebook-scoped source grounding with multi-speaker audio podcast generation
#2 SurfSense MODSetter	Apache-2.0 / BSL-1.1	Apache-2.0 core / BSL-1.1 proprietary path	Self-hosted research engine with two-host podcast audio, slide decks, video overviews, and grounded citations
#3 RAGFlow InfiniFlow	Apache-2.0	Apache-2.0 licensed	Deep document parsing with visual chunk inspection and hybrid search
#4 AnythingLLM Mintplex Labs	MIT	Permissive MIT license	Turnkey document workspaces with desktop installer and container support
#5 DocsGPT ARC53	MIT	Permissive MIT license	Open document assistant supporting local models and collection switching
#6 FastGPT Labring	Apache-2.0 plus additional restrictions	Inspect SaaS & branding terms	Visual RAG workflow builder with interactive chunk passage reader
#7 Open WebUI Open WebUI Team	Source-Available License	Branding rules above 50 users	Extensible chat platform with workspace knowledge bases and inline citations
#8 Khoj Khoj AI	AGPL-3.0	AGPL-3.0 copyleft terms	Personal AI assistant over local notes, markdown files, and documents
#9 Dify LangGenius	Modified Apache-2.0	Multi-tenant SaaS & branding limits	Comprehensive LLM application platform with knowledge retrieval pipelines
#10 Onyx Onyx Team (formerly Danswer)	MIT Core / Enterprise License	Inspect ee/ directory license	Permission-aware enterprise knowledge search with inline source attribution

Detailed candidate reviews

Closest notebook workflow matches

Self-hosted candidates that replicate NotebookLM's notebook-bound source scope, citation markers, and multi-format audio/video summaries.

RANK #1

Open Notebook

Developed by lfnovo / Community

Permissive MIT license AwesomeOSAI profile →

Notebook-scoped source grounding with multi-speaker audio podcast generation

Best for:Individual researchers wanting NotebookLM-style notebook isolation and audio podcast overviews.

Grounded rationale:Open Notebook is the closest functional match for NotebookLM's core notebook and podcast workflow. It scopes documents into isolated notebooks, accepts PDFs, web content, audio, video, and text inputs, renders clickable citations, and includes an audio studio that creates 1–4 speaker podcast discussions via configurable TTS providers.

Licensing restriction & caveats:Citation handling is documented as basic relative to enterprise chunking engines, and podcast voice quality depends on the chosen TTS backend.

Sources:Open Notebook source•Open Notebook license (MIT)

Direct GitHub source →

RANK #2

SurfSense

Developed by MODSetter

Apache-2.0 core / BSL-1.1 proprietary path AwesomeOSAI profile →

Self-hosted research engine with two-host podcast audio, slide decks, video overviews, and grounded citations

Best for:Researchers and teams wanting citations, structured research reports, two-host audio podcasts, editable slide decks, and narrated video overviews from ingested sources.

Grounded rationale:SurfSense ingests web pages, PDFs, and documents to return source-grounded answers with citations. It includes multi-format output generation—such as two-host audio podcasts, editable slide decks, and narrated video overviews—positioning it alongside Open Notebook as a close functional match for NotebookLM.

Licensing restriction & caveats:Core engine is Apache-2.0, while only surfsense_backend/app/proprietary/** carries a BSL-1.1 license; all other source is Apache-2.0. Inspect both license files before commercial or enterprise deployment.

Sources:SurfSense source repository•SurfSense documentation•SurfSense core license•SurfSense backend license

Direct GitHub source →

Permissive document RAG options

Self-hosted candidates with permissive open source licenses for general deployment.

RANK #3

RAGFlow

Developed by InfiniFlow

Apache-2.0 licensed AwesomeOSAI profile →

Deep document parsing with visual chunk inspection and hybrid search

Best for:Extracting structured answers and cited references from complex multi-column PDFs, tables, and scanned reports.

Grounded rationale:RAGFlow applies deep document parsing and layout recognition. It uses template-based chunking, hybrid retrieval, and visual chunk references so users can inspect exact source locations inside complex PDFs before generating answers.

Licensing restriction & caveats:Engineered for enterprise document pipelines rather than a lightweight personal note-taking notebook interface.

Sources:RAGFlow source•RAGFlow documentation•RAGFlow license (Apache-2.0)

Direct GitHub source →

RANK #4

AnythingLLM

Developed by Mintplex Labs

Permissive MIT license AwesomeOSAI profile →

Turnkey document workspaces with desktop installer and container support

Best for:Users who want an easy-to-install desktop app or single-container workspace for document Q&A.

Grounded rationale:AnythingLLM allows users to attach documents to specific workspaces or chat threads, providing inline source citations for retrieved chunks. It offers cross-platform desktop executables alongside Docker deployment and broad model provider support.

Licensing restriction & caveats:Workspace attachments group documents into collections rather than enforcing strict per-notebook research boundaries.

Sources:AnythingLLM source•AnythingLLM documentation•AnythingLLM license (MIT)

Direct GitHub source →

RANK #5

DocsGPT

Developed by ARC53

Permissive MIT license AwesomeOSAI profile →

Open document assistant supporting local models and collection switching

Best for:Developers looking for a straightforward document chat interface with local model integration.

Grounded rationale:DocsGPT provides multi-format document analysis, custom source collection indexing, and clear citation badges in its UI. It connects with local inference servers and cloud providers alike.

Licensing restriction & caveats:Organizes sources into generic document collections rather than structured, notebook-style project workbooks.

Sources:DocsGPT source•DocsGPT documentation•DocsGPT license (MIT)

Direct GitHub source →

Self-hosted options requiring license review

Self-hosted source-available or license-reviewed candidates with specific copyleft, branding, multi-tenant SaaS conditions, or enterprise license clauses.

RANK #6

FastGPT

Developed by Labring

Inspect SaaS & branding terms AwesomeOSAI profile →

Visual RAG workflow builder with interactive chunk passage reader

Best for:Visual workflow construction and precise chunk inspection across complex document sets.

Grounded rationale:FastGPT combines document ingestion, hybrid retrieval, and visual node orchestration. Its interactive chunk reader displays exact highlighted source passages behind every citation.

Licensing restriction & caveats:Written authorization or commercial licensing is needed to remove or modify branding; competing multi-tenant SaaS deployments remain restricted.

Sources:FastGPT source•FastGPT chunk reader documentation•FastGPT license terms

Direct GitHub source →

RANK #7

Open WebUI

Developed by Open WebUI Team

Branding rules above 50 users AwesomeOSAI profile →

Extensible chat platform with workspace knowledge bases and inline citations

Best for:Users who want an all-in-one chat interface backed by knowledge collections and local runners.

Grounded rationale:Open WebUI includes document knowledge bases, RAG retrieval engines, web search integration, and inline source citations. It pairs natively with Ollama and OpenAI-compatible runners.

Licensing restriction & caveats:Knowledge bases act as workspace file lists rather than notebook-bound research studios. Under its source-available license, branding may be altered without authorization only where no more than 50 natural-person end users access the deployment in a rolling 30-day period.

Sources:Open WebUI source•Open WebUI RAG documentation•Open WebUI license terms

Direct GitHub source →

RANK #8

Khoj

Developed by Khoj AI

AGPL-3.0 copyleft terms AwesomeOSAI profile →

Personal AI assistant over local notes, markdown files, and documents

Best for:Personal knowledge management across local Obsidian notes, Markdown files, and PDF docs.

Grounded rationale:Khoj acts as a self-hosted second brain that indexes local notes and documents for grounded search and chat, supporting local model backends.

Licensing restriction & caveats:AGPL-3.0's remote-network source obligation applies when remote users interact with a modified version, not merely because the software is deployed or hosted on a network. Focuses on personal note search rather than notebook studio layouts.

Sources:Khoj source•Khoj documentation•Khoj license (AGPL-3.0)

Direct GitHub source →

RANK #9

Dify

Developed by LangGenius

Multi-tenant SaaS & branding limits AwesomeOSAI profile →

Comprehensive LLM application platform with knowledge retrieval pipelines

Best for:Teams building full LLM applications with configurable retrieval and attribution workflows.

Grounded rationale:Dify provides knowledge base indexing, hybrid retrieval testing, citation attribution settings, and visual application orchestration with local model support.

Licensing restriction & caveats:Modified Apache-2.0 terms require explicit authorization for multi-tenant/multi-workspace deployments and frontend-logo removal. It is an app orchestration suite rather than a dedicated research notebook.

Sources:Dify source•Dify citation documentation•Dify license terms

Direct GitHub source →

RANK #10

Onyx

Developed by Onyx Team (formerly Danswer)

Inspect ee/ directory license AwesomeOSAI profile →

Permission-aware enterprise knowledge search with inline source attribution

Best for:Team environments requiring permissioned search over connected document repositories.

Grounded rationale:Onyx (formerly Danswer) supplies hybrid search, inline citation markers, and document retrieval over enterprise document connectors.

Licensing restriction & caveats:MIT core except backend/ee, web/src/app/ee, and web/src/ee, which fall under the Onyx Enterprise License. Permission controls are Enterprise Edition features requiring commercial license review.

Sources:Onyx source•Onyx citation documentation•Onyx internal search documentation•Onyx license terms

Direct GitHub source →

Decision guide

Requirement	Recommendation	Why
NotebookLM-style source isolation & audio podcasts	Open Notebook (MIT)	Keeps sources bounded to individual notebooks, supports multi-format ingestion, and generates 1–4 speaker audio podcast discussions via configurable TTS.
Citations, reports, two-host podcasts & slide decks	SurfSense (Apache-2.0 / BSL-1.1)	Ingests web pages and documents to output citations, two-host podcasts, editable slide decks, and narrated video overviews.
Complex PDFs with tables, scans & multi-column layouts	RAGFlow (Apache-2.0)	Uses deep document understanding, template chunking, and visual passage references for hostile PDF layouts.
Desktop or single-container workspace document chat	AnythingLLM (MIT)	Ships desktop installers or a single Docker container with document attachment across workspaces.
Multi-format document search with local model selection	DocsGPT (MIT)	Ingests documents into collections with source citations and local model provider configuration.
Highlighted chunk passage reader & visual RAG workflows	FastGPT (Apache-2.0 plus additional restrictions)	Offers visual pipeline building and a chunk reader showing exact highlighted sources (check branding/SaaS terms).
Full self-hosted chat interface with knowledge collections	Open WebUI (Source-Available License)	Bundles knowledge base collections with extensive local runner integration (branding rules apply over 50 users).
Personal note-taking & local document assistant	Khoj (AGPL-3.0)	Indexes local notes and files for second-brain retrieval (AGPL-3.0's remote-network source obligation applies to remote users interacting with a modified version).
Full LLM workflow orchestration with knowledge retrieval	Dify (Modified Apache-2.0)	Provides complete application workflow building and retrieval citations (authorization required for multi-tenant & branding removal).
Permission-aware team knowledge base with enterprise connectors	Onyx (MIT Core / Enterprise License)	Combines hybrid search, permission controls, and enterprise connectors (inspect ee/ directory license).

Questions people ask

How does a dedicated research notebook differ from a general document RAG platform?

A dedicated research notebook scopes document sources to individual project workbooks and synthesizes notes, slide decks, or audio/video overviews. General document RAG platforms focus on indexing shared document repositories, managing enterprise connectors, or orchestrating multi-step LLM workflows across broader collections.

Which self-hosted alternatives generate audio podcasts or video overviews like NotebookLM?

Open Notebook and SurfSense both include audio generation features. Open Notebook generates 1–4 speaker podcasts via configurable TTS providers, while SurfSense generates two-host audio podcasts, editable slide decks, and narrated video overviews. Standard document RAG platforms focus purely on text retrieval.

Do all candidates support completely offline local model execution?

No. Local-model support and offline deployment capabilities vary by candidate and deployment setup. While desktop or web UIs like AnythingLLM, DocsGPT, Khoj, and Open WebUI support local runners like Ollama, complex multi-service platforms or enterprise connector stacks may require dedicated service configuration or external model endpoints. Inspect primary repository documentation for exact runner and offline support.

Why do some self-hosted platforms require commercial license reviews?

While tools like Open Notebook, AnythingLLM, and DocsGPT use permissive MIT licenses, others include specific commercial or source-available conditions. SurfSense is Apache-2.0 except for BSL-1.1 in surfsense_backend/app/proprietary/**, Khoj uses AGPL-3.0 with a remote-network source obligation when remote users interact with a modified version, Open WebUI enforces branding attribution rules for deployments exceeding 50 natural-person end users in a rolling 30-day period, FastGPT's additional terms restrict multi-tenant SaaS similar to FastGPT unless explicitly authorized, Dify requires written authorization for multi-tenant commercial SaaS or branding removal, and Onyx uses the Onyx Enterprise License for code under its backend/ee, web/src/app/ee, and web/src/ee directories.

Related internal pages

Related self-hosted guides and alternative pages:

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