Open Notebook

An open source, privacy-focused alternative to Google's Notebook LM!
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📚 Get Started · 📖 User Guide · ✨ Features · 🚀 Deploy

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A private, multi-model, 100% local, full-featured alternative to Notebook LM

In a world dominated by Artificial Intelligence, having the ability to think 🧠 and acquire new knowledge 💡, is a skill that should not be a privilege for a few, nor restricted to a single provider.

Open Notebook empowers you to:

• 🔒 Control your data - Keep your research private and secure
• 🤖 Choose your AI models - Support for 18+ providers including OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama, LM Studio, and more
• 📚 Organize multi-modal content - PDFs, videos, audio, web pages, and more
• 🎙️ Generate professional podcasts - Advanced multi-speaker podcast generation
• 🔍 Search intelligently - Full-text and vector search across all your content
• 💬 Chat with context - AI conversations powered by your research
• 🌐 Multi-language UI - English, Portuguese, Chinese (Simplified & Traditional), Japanese, Russian, and Bengali support

Learn more about our project at https://www.open-notebook.ai

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🆚 Open Notebook vs Google Notebook LM

Feature	Open Notebook	Google Notebook LM	Advantage
Privacy & Control	Self-hosted, your data	Google cloud only	Complete data sovereignty
AI Provider Choice	18+ providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama, LM Studio, etc.)	Google models only	Flexibility and cost optimization
Podcast Speakers	1-4 speakers with custom profiles	2 speakers only	Extreme flexibility
Content Transformations	Custom and built-in	Limited options	Unlimited processing power
API Access	Full REST API	No API	Complete automation
Deployment	Docker, cloud, or local	Google hosted only	Deploy anywhere
Citations	Basic references (will improve)	Comprehensive with sources	Research integrity
Customization	Open source, fully customizable	Closed system	Unlimited extensibility
Cost	Pay only for AI usage	Free tier + Monthly subscription	Transparent and controllable

Why Choose Open Notebook?

• 🔒 Privacy First: Your sensitive research stays completely private
• 💰 Cost Control: Choose cheaper AI providers or run locally with Ollama
• 🎙️ Better Podcasts: Full script control and multi-speaker flexibility vs limited 2-speaker deep-dive format
• 🔧 Unlimited Customization: Modify, extend, and integrate as needed
• 🌐 No Vendor Lock-in: Switch providers, deploy anywhere, own your data

Built With

🚀 Quick Start (2 Minutes)

Prerequisites

• Docker Desktop installed
• That's it! (API keys configured later in the UI)

Step 1: Get docker-compose.yml

Option A: Download directly

curl -o docker-compose.yml https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/main/docker-compose.yml

Option B: Create the file manually Copy this into a new file called docker-compose.yml:

services:
  surrealdb:
    image: surrealdb/surrealdb:v2
    # Credentials default to root:root for a zero-config local setup. Before
    # exposing this instance to a network, set SURREAL_USER / SURREAL_PASSWORD
    # in a .env file (see .env.example) — they are applied here and to the
    # open_notebook service below, so the two always stay in sync.
    # List (exec) form so each interpolated value stays a single argument —
    # a password containing spaces would otherwise be split into several.
    command: ["start", "--log", "info", "--user", "${SURREAL_USER:-root}", "--pass", "${SURREAL_PASSWORD:-root}", "rocksdb:/mydata/mydatabase.db"]
    user: root  # Required for bind mounts on Linux
    ports:
      # Bound to localhost only: the open_notebook service reaches this over
      # the internal compose network regardless, so the host port is purely
      # for local debugging (e.g. Surrealist, `surreal sql`). Exposing this
      # on 0.0.0.0 would let anyone who can reach the host connect with the
      # default root:root credentials.
      - "127.0.0.1:8000:8000"
    volumes:
      - ./surreal_data:/mydata
    environment:
      - SURREAL_EXPERIMENTAL_GRAPHQL=true
    restart: always
    pull_policy: always

  open_notebook:
    image: lfnovo/open_notebook:v1-latest
    ports:
      - "8502:8502"  # Web UI
      - "5055:5055"  # REST API
    environment:
      # REQUIRED: Change this to your own secret string
      # This encrypts your API keys in the database
      - OPEN_NOTEBOOK_ENCRYPTION_KEY=change-me-to-a-secret-string

      # Database connection. SURREAL_USER / SURREAL_PASSWORD default to root:root
      # for local use; override them in a .env file before exposing the instance
      # (the same values configure the surrealdb service above).
      - SURREAL_URL=ws://surrealdb:8000/rpc
      - SURREAL_USER=${SURREAL_USER:-root}
      - SURREAL_PASSWORD=${SURREAL_PASSWORD:-root}
      - SURREAL_NAMESPACE=open_notebook
      - SURREAL_DATABASE=open_notebook
    volumes:
      - ./notebook_data:/app/data
    depends_on:
      - surrealdb
    restart: always
    pull_policy: always

Step 2: Set Your Encryption Key

Edit docker-compose.yml and change this line:

- OPEN_NOTEBOOK_ENCRYPTION_KEY=change-me-to-a-secret-string

to any secret value (e.g., my-super-secret-key-123)

Step 3: Start Services

docker compose up -d

Wait 15-20 seconds, then open: http://localhost:8502

Step 4: Configure AI Provider

1. Go to Models and choose your provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, etc.)
2. Click + Add Configuration
3. Paste your API key and other info as needed and click Add Configuration
4. Click Test to test connection
5. Click Sync Models and check models to include
6. Under Default Model Assignments, click Auto-Assign Defaults or manually specify which models to use for what

Done! You're ready to create your first notebook.

Need an API key? Get one from: OpenAI · Anthropic · Google · Groq (free tier)

Want free local AI? See examples/docker-compose-ollama.yml for Ollama setup

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📚 More Installation Options

• With Ollama (Free Local AI) - Run models locally without API costs
• From Source (Developers) - For development and contributions
• Complete Installation Guide - All deployment scenarios

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📖 Need Help?

• 🤖 AI Installation Assistant: CustomGPT to help you install
• 🆘 Troubleshooting: 5-minute troubleshooting guide
• 💬 Community Support: Discord Server
• 🐛 Report Issues: GitHub Issues

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Star History

Provider Support Matrix

Thanks to the Esperanto library, we support this providers out of the box!

Provider	LLM Support	Embedding Support	Speech-to-Text	Text-to-Speech
OpenAI	✅	✅	✅	✅
Anthropic	✅	❌	❌	❌
Groq	✅	❌	✅	❌
Google (GenAI)	✅	✅	✅	✅
Vertex AI	✅	✅	❌	✅
Ollama	✅	✅	❌	❌
oMLX	✅	✅	❌	❌
Perplexity	✅	❌	❌	❌
ElevenLabs	❌	❌	✅	✅
Deepgram	❌	❌	✅	✅
Azure OpenAI	✅	✅	✅	✅
Mistral	✅	✅	✅	✅
DeepSeek	✅	❌	❌	❌
Cohere	✅	✅	❌	❌
Voyage	❌	✅	❌	❌
xAI	✅	❌	❌	✅
OpenRouter	✅	✅	✅	✅
DashScope (Qwen)	✅	❌	❌	❌
MiniMax	✅	❌	❌	❌
Novita	✅	❌	❌	❌
PayPerQ (PPQ)	✅	✅	✅	✅
OpenAI Compatible*	✅	✅	✅	✅

*Supports LM Studio and any OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Prefer the native oMLX provider for oMLX (Apple Silicon); see docs/5-CONFIGURATION/omlx.md.

✨ Key Features

Core Capabilities

• 🔒 Privacy-First: Your data stays under your control - no cloud dependencies
• 🎯 Multi-Notebook Organization: Manage multiple research projects seamlessly
• 📚 Universal Content Support: PDFs, videos, audio, web pages, Office docs, and more
• 🤖 Multi-Model AI Support: 18+ providers including OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama, Google, LM Studio, and more
• 🎙️ Professional Podcast Generation: Advanced multi-speaker podcasts with Episode Profiles
• 🔍 Intelligent Search: Full-text and vector search across all your content
• 💬 Context-Aware Chat: AI conversations powered by your research materials
• 📝 AI-Assisted Notes: Generate insights or write notes manually

Advanced Features

• ⚡ Reasoning Model Support: Full support for thinking models like DeepSeek-R1 and Qwen3
• 🔧 Content Transformations: Powerful customizable actions to summarize and extract insights
• 🌐 Comprehensive REST API: Full programmatic access for custom integrations
• 🔐 Optional Password Protection: Secure public deployments with authentication
• 📊 Fine-Grained Context Control: Choose exactly what to share with AI models
• 📎 Citations: Get answers with proper source citations

Podcast Feature

📚 Documentation

Getting Started

• 📖 Introduction - Learn what Open Notebook offers
• ⚡ Quick Start with OpenAI - Get up and running in 5 minutes
• 🔧 Installation - Comprehensive setup guide
• 🎯 Run It Fully Local - Ollama/LM Studio, completely private

User Guide

• 📱 Interface Overview - Understanding the layout
• 📚 Notebooks, Sources & Notes - Organizing your research
• 📄 Adding Sources - Managing content types
• 📝 Working with Notes - Creating and managing notes
• 💬 Chatting Effectively - AI conversations
• 🔍 Search - Finding information

Advanced Topics

• 🎙️ Podcast Generation - Create professional podcasts
• 🔧 Content Transformations - Customize content processing
• 🤖 AI Models - AI model configuration
• 🔌 MCP Integration - Connect with Claude Desktop, VS Code and other MCP clients
• 🔧 REST API Reference - Complete API documentation
• 🔐 Security - Password protection and privacy
• 🚀 Deployment - Complete deployment guides for all scenarios
• 🧭 Vision & Principles - What Open Notebook is, and where it's going
• 🛠️ Developer Docs - Architecture, setup, contributing, decision records

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🗺️ Roadmap

Upcoming Features

• Live Front-End Updates: Real-time UI updates for smoother experience
• Async Processing: Faster UI through asynchronous content processing
• Cross-Notebook Sources: Reuse research materials across projects
• Bookmark Integration: Connect with your favorite bookmarking apps

Recently Completed ✅

• Next.js Frontend: Modern React-based frontend with improved performance
• Comprehensive REST API: Full programmatic access to all functionality
• Multi-Model Support: 18+ AI providers including OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama, LM Studio
• Advanced Podcast Generator: Professional multi-speaker podcasts with Episode Profiles
• Content Transformations: Powerful customizable actions for content processing
• Enhanced Citations: Improved layout and finer control for source citations
• Multiple Chat Sessions: Manage different conversations within notebooks

Explore GitHub Discussions for proposed features and product ideas, and open Issues for known bugs and approved work.

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📖 Need Help?

• 🤖 AI Installation Assistant: We have a CustomGPT built to help you install Open Notebook - it will guide you through each step!
• New to Open Notebook? Start with our Getting Started Guide
• Need installation help? Check our Installation Guide
• Want to see it in action? Try our Quick Start Tutorial

🤝 Community & Contributing

Join the Community

• 💬 Discord Server - Get help, share ideas, and connect with other users
• 𝕏 Follow @lfnovo on X - Project updates and news from the maintainer
• 💡 GitHub Discussions - Ask questions and shape features, product direction, design, and architecture
• 🐛 GitHub Issues - Report reproducible bugs and find approved work
• ⭐ Star this repo - Show your support and help others discover Open Notebook

Contributing

We welcome contributions! We're especially looking for help with:

• Frontend Development: Help improve our modern Next.js/React UI
• Testing & Bug Fixes: Make Open Notebook more robust
• Feature Development: Build the coolest research tool together
• Documentation: Improve guides and tutorials

Current Tech Stack: Python, FastAPI, Next.js, React, SurrealDB Future Roadmap: Real-time updates, enhanced async processing

See our Contributing Guide for detailed information on how to get started, including our guidelines for AI-assisted contributions. To understand what we're building (and what we'll say no to), read VISION.md.

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📄 License

Open Notebook is MIT licensed. See the LICENSE file for details.

Community Support:

• 💬 Discord Server - Get help, share ideas, and connect with users
• 𝕏 Follow @lfnovo on X - Project updates and news from the maintainer
• 💡 GitHub Discussions - Ask questions and shape ideas
• 🐛 GitHub Issues - Report reproducible bugs and find approved work
• 🌐 Website - Learn more about the project

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