Comparison
airflow vs surf
Verdict
Pick airflow when airflow is primarily Python; surf is TypeScript; pick surf when surf is primarily TypeScript; airflow is Python.
Markdown twin · airflow alternatives · surf alternatives
GraphCanon updated today
Trust & integrity
| Signal | airflow | surf |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (0d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 | Very active (4d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of today · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Organization account As of today · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of today · osv@v1 | No lockfile (source not queried) As of today · osv@v1 |
| deps.dev advisories | Not queried deps.dev@v1 | Not queried deps.dev@v1 |
| OpenSSF Scorecard | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 |
Tagline
- airflow
- Apache Airflow - A platform to programmatically author, schedule, and monitor workflows
- surf
- Surf is a computer use AI agent powered by OpenAI that interacts with a E2B's virtual desktop environment through natural language instructions
Stars
- airflow
- 46k
- surf
- 824
Forks
- airflow
- 17k
- surf
- 142
Open issues
- airflow
- 1.7k
- surf
- 11
Language
- airflow
- Python
- surf
- TypeScript
Adopt for
- airflow
- -
- surf
- -
Persona
- airflow
- -
- surf
- -
Runtime
- airflow
- -
- surf
- -
License
- airflow
- Apache-2.0
- surf
- Apache-2.0
Last pushed
- airflow
- Jul 15, 2026
- surf
- Jul 10, 2026
Categories
- airflow
- AI Agents, Computer Vision, Data & Retrieval
- surf
- AI Agents
Trust and health
Days since push
- airflow
- 0d
- surf
- 4d
Open issues (now)
- airflow
- 1.7k
- surf
- 11
Full report
- airflow
- Trust report
- surf
- Trust report
Choose airflow if…
- airflow is primarily Python; surf is TypeScript.
- Tags unique to airflow: airflow, apache, apache-airflow, dag.
- Also covers Computer Vision, Data & Retrieval.
- airflow ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment.
When NOT to use airflow
- AI Agents: Don't use an agent loop when a deterministic workflow would do; agents add latency, cost, and non-determinism.
- Data & Retrieval: Skip a heavy ingestion framework when your corpus is small and static; a script plus the embedding API is enough.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (apache/airflow) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- GitHub forks (apache/airflow) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- Last push (apache/airflow) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- GitHub stars (e2b-dev/surf) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- GitHub forks (e2b-dev/surf) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- Last push (e2b-dev/surf) · observed Jul 10, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: airflow 46k · surf 824 (synced Jul 15, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between airflow and surf?
- airflow: Apache Airflow - A platform to programmatically author, schedule, and monitor workflows. surf: Surf is a computer use AI agent powered by OpenAI that interacts with a E2B's virtual desktop environment through natural language instructions. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose airflow over surf?
- Choose airflow over surf when airflow is primarily Python; surf is TypeScript; Tags unique to airflow: airflow, apache, apache-airflow, dag; Also covers Computer Vision, Data & Retrieval; airflow ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment.
- When should I choose surf over airflow?
- Choose surf over airflow when surf is primarily TypeScript; airflow is Python; Tags unique to surf: ai, cua, desktop, e2b; Leaner open-issue backlog (11).
- When should I avoid airflow?
- AI Agents: Don't use an agent loop when a deterministic workflow would do; agents add latency, cost, and non-determinism. Data & Retrieval: Skip a heavy ingestion framework when your corpus is small and static; a script plus the embedding API is enough.
- When should I avoid surf?
- AI Agents: Don't use an agent loop when a deterministic workflow would do; agents add latency, cost, and non-determinism.
- Is airflow or surf more popular on GitHub?
- airflow has more GitHub stars (46,124 vs 824). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are airflow and surf open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (airflow: Apache-2.0, surf: Apache-2.0).
- Where can I find alternatives to airflow or surf?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at airflow alternatives and surf alternatives (airflow markdown twin, surf markdown twin), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes.
- Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison?
- Yes. The markdown twin at this comparison mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.
- Which is better maintained, airflow or surf?
- airflow: Very active. surf: Very active. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance.
- Where are the full trust reports for airflow and surf?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: airflow trust report; surf trust report.