kitio.aiSTORM vs SurfSense
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. STORM is completely free, while SurfSense is freemium.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Multi-perspective research
- Cited long-form articles
- Co-STORM collaboration
- Open-source code
- Custom corpus grounding
- Runs fully offline
- Local models or your own keys
- Windows, macOS and Linux app
- Scraper plugins
- Web crawler
- No account needed
| Feature | STORM | SurfSense |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Stanford research system that writes Wikipedia-style cited articles | Private, open-source research notebook that runs on your own machine |
| Category | Research & search | Research & search |
| Pricing model | Free | Freemium |
| Starting price | Free | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes, fully free | Yes |
| Made by | Stanford OVAL | SurfSense |
| Based in | United States | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
|
Pricing compared
STORM is completely free, while SurfSense is freemium.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
2 plans
Free
Free
- Full app on Windows, macOS, Linux
- Runs offline
- 14-day plugin licence
Individual
$60 first year, then $120/yr
- All scraper plugins
- Web crawler
- Priority support
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
STORM
- Free to use
- Well-structured overviews
- Open research project
- Academic project, not a product
- Slower than chat tools
SurfSense
- Data never leaves your machine
- Free app with no usage cap
- Source code is public
- Plugins and support need a licence
- You supply the model or keys
- Moving to a local app changes older setups
Which one should you choose?
Choose STORM if you want:
- Free to use
- Well-structured overviews
- Open research project
Watch out: academic project, not a product.
Choose SurfSense if you want:
- Data never leaves your machine
- Free app with no usage cap
- Source code is public
Watch out: plugins and support need a licence.
STORM vs SurfSense FAQ
What is the difference between STORM and SurfSense?
STORM: Stanford research system that writes Wikipedia-style cited articles. SurfSense: Private, open-source research notebook that runs on your own machine. Both are research & search tools.
Is STORM or SurfSense cheaper?
STORM is completely free, while SurfSense is freemium.
Do STORM and SurfSense have free plans?
STORM: Yes, fully free. SurfSense: Yes.
Who makes STORM?
STORM is made by Stanford OVAL, based in United States.
Who makes SurfSense?
SurfSense is made by SurfSense.
Which should I choose, STORM or SurfSense?
Choose STORM if you value free to use and well-structured overviews. Choose SurfSense if you value data never leaves your machine and free app with no usage cap.