kitio.aiSurfSense vs Liminary
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. SurfSense starts at See pricing page and Liminary starts at $29/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Runs fully offline
- Local models or your own keys
- Windows, macOS and Linux app
- Scraper plugins
- Web crawler
- No account needed
- One-click web capture
- Proactive resurfacing while writing
- Fact-check and gap detection
- Magnet meeting assistant
- Project watchlists
| Feature | SurfSense | Liminary |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Private, open-source research notebook that runs on your own machine | Research memory that saves sources and brings them back when you need them |
| Category | Research & search | Research & search |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | See pricing page | $29/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | SurfSense | Liminary |
| Based in | – | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
SurfSense starts at See pricing page and Liminary starts at $29/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
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
3 plans
Explorer
Free
- 200 saved documents
- 10 local uploads per day
- Full capture-to-creation flow
Pro
$29/mo
- 10,000 saved sources
- Fact-check and gap detection
- Unlimited Magnet meetings
- Model selection
Team
$50/mo
- Per user
- Unlimited sources and uploads
- Shared team knowledge base
- Drive and Granola integrations
Prices in USD, checked Oct 29, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
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
Liminary
- Every answer links to its source
- Finds material before you search
- Data is not used for training
- Free plan capped at 200 saved items
- Team plan costs $50 per user
- Integrations limited to the Team plan
Which one should you choose?
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.
Choose Liminary if you want:
- Every answer links to its source
- Finds material before you search
- Data is not used for training
Watch out: free plan capped at 200 saved items.
SurfSense vs Liminary FAQ
What is the difference between SurfSense and Liminary?
SurfSense: Private, open-source research notebook that runs on your own machine. Liminary: Research memory that saves sources and brings them back when you need them. Both are research & search tools.
Is SurfSense or Liminary cheaper?
SurfSense starts at See pricing page and Liminary starts at $29/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do SurfSense and Liminary have free plans?
SurfSense: Yes. Liminary: Yes.
Who makes SurfSense?
SurfSense is made by SurfSense.
Who makes Liminary?
Liminary is made by Liminary.
Which should I choose, SurfSense or Liminary?
Choose SurfSense if you value data never leaves your machine and free app with no usage cap. Choose Liminary if you value every answer links to its source and finds material before you search.