Comparison
synthadoc vs surf
Verdict
Pick synthadoc if synthadoc is an open-source compilation engine that turns raw documents into structured wikis locally without using RAG techniques; pick surf if surf is an open-source tool for managing personal notes by integrating local or remote AI models to process files and webpages.
Markdown twin · synthadoc alternatives · surf alternatives
GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026
13views this month
Trust & integrity
| Signal | synthadoc | surf |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (0d since push) As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Active (26d since push) As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Organization account As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of Jul 15, 2026 · osv@v1 | No lockfile (source not queried) As of Jul 15, 2026 · 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
- synthadoc
- An open-source LLM knowledge compilation engine turning raw documents into structured wikis
- surf
- Tools for organizing files and webpages locally to generate notes using personal AI notebooks.
Stars
- synthadoc
- 1.2k
- surf
- 3.6k
Forks
- synthadoc
- 123
- surf
- 251
Open issues
- synthadoc
- 6
- surf
- 32
Language
- synthadoc
- Python
- surf
- TypeScript
Adopt for
- synthadoc
- Synthadoc is an open-source compilation engine that turns raw documents into structured wikis locally without using RAG techniques.
- surf
- surf is an open-source tool for managing personal notes by integrating local or remote AI models to process files and webpages.
Persona
- synthadoc
- -
- surf
- -
Runtime
- synthadoc
- -
- surf
- -
License
- synthadoc
- AGPL-3.0
- surf
- Apache-2.0
Last pushed
- synthadoc
- Sep 20, 2026
- surf
- Aug 24, 2026
Categories
- synthadoc
- Data & Retrieval, LLM Frameworks
- surf
- Data & Retrieval, Developer Tools, LLM Frameworks
Trust and health
Maintenance
- synthadoc
- Very active (96%)
- surf
- Active (82%)
Days since push
- synthadoc
- 0d
- surf
- 26d
Open issues (now)
- synthadoc
- 6
- surf
- 32
Stars delta
- synthadoc
- +256 (30d)
- surf
- +50 (30d)
Open issues delta
- synthadoc
- -1 (30d)
- surf
- 0 (30d)
Full report
- synthadoc
- Trust report
- surf
- Trust report
Choose synthadoc if…
- synthadoc is primarily Python; surf is TypeScript.
- License: synthadoc is AGPL-3.0, surf is Apache-2.0.
- Tags unique to synthadoc: enterprise-solutions, knowledge-graph, personal-knowledge-management, synthetic-data.
- Use Synthadoc when seeking transparency in the transformation of raw document data to a human-readable wiki format, offering local-first management and self-improvement capabilities.
When NOT to use synthadoc
- Do not use Synthadoc if you require traditional RAG techniques in handling document compilation, as this tool explicitly avoids them.
- Avoid it when an integrated solution with third-party tools is needed since it focuses on being a standalone, self-managed and self-improved system.
Choose surf if…
- surf is primarily TypeScript; synthadoc is Python.
- License: surf is Apache-2.0, synthadoc is AGPL-3.0.
- Tags unique to surf: claude, deepseek, gemma, knowledge-base.
- Also covers Developer Tools.
- Need a robust integration with both local and remote language models for comprehensive note creation
When NOT to use surf
- Prefer using proprietary, closed-source tools that do not allow open model choices
- Require extensive cloud-based collaboration features among multiple users
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (axoviq-ai/synthadoc) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (axoviq-ai/synthadoc) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Last push (axoviq-ai/synthadoc) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- License file (AGPL-3.0) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 16, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- GitHub stars (deta/surf) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (deta/surf) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Last push (deta/surf) · observed Aug 24, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 17, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: synthadoc 1.2k · surf 3.6k (synced Sep 20, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between synthadoc and surf?
- synthadoc: An open-source LLM knowledge compilation engine turning raw documents into structured wikis. surf: Tools for organizing files and webpages locally to generate notes using personal AI notebooks.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose synthadoc over surf?
- Choose synthadoc over surf when synthadoc is primarily Python; surf is TypeScript; License: synthadoc is AGPL-3.0, surf is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to synthadoc: enterprise-solutions, knowledge-graph, personal-knowledge-management, synthetic-data; Use Synthadoc when seeking transparency in the transformation of raw document data to a human-readable wiki format, offering local-first management and self-improvement capabilities.
- When should I choose surf over synthadoc?
- Choose surf over synthadoc when surf is primarily TypeScript; synthadoc is Python; License: surf is Apache-2.0, synthadoc is AGPL-3.0; Tags unique to surf: claude, deepseek, gemma, knowledge-base; Also covers Developer Tools; Need a robust integration with both local and remote language models for comprehensive note creation.
- When should I avoid synthadoc?
- Do not use Synthadoc if you require traditional RAG techniques in handling document compilation, as this tool explicitly avoids them. Avoid it when an integrated solution with third-party tools is needed since it focuses on being a standalone, self-managed and self-improved system.
- When should I avoid surf?
- Prefer using proprietary, closed-source tools that do not allow open model choices Require extensive cloud-based collaboration features among multiple users
- Is synthadoc or surf more popular on GitHub?
- surf has more GitHub stars (3,572 vs 1,226). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are synthadoc and surf open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (synthadoc: AGPL-3.0, surf: Apache-2.0).
- Where can I find alternatives to synthadoc or surf?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at synthadoc alternatives and surf alternatives (synthadoc 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, synthadoc or surf?
- synthadoc: Very active. surf: 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 synthadoc and surf?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: synthadoc trust report; surf trust report.