Docs & PDF Q&A
semantra-python
Finds the passage by meaning, without writing you an answer
★ 2.7k
August 2024
MIT
Docs & PDF Q&A
What we checked ourselves
Not copied from the project's own blurb. These are things we opened and verified, with the date.
- 8 Sept 2026We checked that the link to the project still resolves.
- 14 Aug 2026We read the licence text itself (LICENSE). No unusual restrictions were stated.
- 1 Sept 2026We read the project's own documentation and found no sign that development has stopped.
Where this sits among the 63 tools we list in Docs & PDF Q&A
- No API key required32 of 63
- Commercial use confirmed as allowed52 of 63
- Requires terminal commands20 that do not →
- Sends your input to the provider20 that do not →
Only 23 of the 63 meet all of the conditions above.
Counted from our own checks: every tool we list is examined against the same criteria.
What it does
Semantic search over your own PDFs and text files: query by meaning rather than exact wording, and it points you at the passages, opening a local web interface for browsing results back to their source. Everything runs on your machine. Note what it deliberately does not do — no generated summary, no synthesis, which is a limitation or a feature depending on whether you want the model's words between you and the document. Last updated August 2024. MIT.
Summary based on the project's own description. The Japanese page has a fuller beginner guide: setup difficulty, what to prepare, and a step-by-step start.
Screenshots & visuals
Before you start
- Setup difficultyFor advanced users
- Command lineRequired
- API keyNot required
- Sends data onlineYes
Judged automatically from the project's own metadata. Always confirm on the official page.
semantra-python FAQ
- Is semantra-python free?
- Yes. It runs on your own machine, so there is no usage-based cost either.
- Do I need to install anything or write code to use semantra-python?
- It needs the command line. If you are not comfortable typing commands, expect to get stuck during setup.
- Does semantra-python work on a phone?
- No. It needs a computer.
- Can I use semantra-python commercially?
- The licence is MIT, which permits commercial use. Conditions such as keeping the copyright notice still apply, so read the licence text before shipping it inside something.
How it compares
The conditions that decide whether you can actually use it, side by side.
| Tool | Command line | API key | Sends data out | Phone | Commercial use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| semantra-python (this page) | Required | Not needed | Yes | No | Yes |
| OCRmyPDF | Required | Not needed | No | No | Yes |
| zerox | Required | Required | Yes | No | Yes |
| paper-qa | Required | Required | Yes | No | Yes |
"Sends data out" means your input is uploaded to someone's server. Pick "No" when the material cannot leave your organisation.