Local Deep Research
Less search box, more research intern: it searches, iterates and writes cited reports on your own hardware.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-14
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Open Source)
- License
- MIT
- Hosting Model
- Self-host (your server)
- Platforms
- webself-hostedclidocker to self-host
- Installation
- Start the Docker Compose stack, or install the Python package and separately run an LLM endpoint and search backend
- Operational Setup
- The nominal quick start still means Docker plus an LLM model and usually SearXNG; local models need substantial RAM/VRAM and several gigabytes of disk
- Where Your Data Lives
- Research history, settings, credentials and findings live in a per-user SQLCipher-encrypted SQLite database on the host; reports export as Markdown or PDF and indexed private documents remain local
- The Catch / Trade-off
- It is slower and substantially heavier to operate, especially with local models, than Perplexity's immediate search-and-answer workflow.
Replaces 1 paid app
up to $20/mo ($240/yr) in subscriptions
Local Deep Research FAQ
Common questions
Is Local Deep Research free and open source?+
Local Deep Research is an open-source tool licensed under MIT that runs on self-host. Less search box, more research intern: it searches, iterates and writes cited reports on your own hardware.
What paid software does Local Deep Research replace?+
Local Deep Research serves as a free replacement for 1 paid SaaS application: Perplexity, saving up to $20/month ($240/year) in subscription bills.
How do you install and set up Local Deep Research?+
Installation: Start the Docker Compose stack, or install the Python package and separately run an LLM endpoint and search backend. Setup notes: The nominal quick start still means Docker plus an LLM model and usually SearXNG; local models need substantial RAM/VRAM and several gigabytes of disk
What is the catch or trade-off with Local Deep Research?+
It is slower and substantially heavier to operate, especially with local models, than Perplexity's immediate search-and-answer workflow.