--- title: "synthadoc vs surf" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/axoviq-ai-synthadoc-vs-deta-surf" tools: ["axoviq-ai-synthadoc", "deta-surf"] --- # synthadoc vs surf *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## 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. [synthadoc](https://github.com/axoviq-ai/synthadoc) reports 1.2k GitHub stars, 123 forks, and 6 open issues, last pushed Sep 20, 2026. [surf](https://deta.surf) has 3.6k stars, 251 forks, and 32 open issues, last pushed Aug 24, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [synthadoc's repository](https://github.com/axoviq-ai/synthadoc) and [surf's repository](https://github.com/deta/surf). | | [synthadoc](/tools/axoviq-ai-synthadoc.md) | [surf](/tools/deta-surf.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | An open-source LLM knowledge compilation engine turning raw documents into structured wikis | Tools for organizing files and webpages locally to generate notes using personal AI notebooks. | | Stars | 1,226 | 3,572 | | Forks | 123 | 251 | | Open issues | 6 | 32 | | Language | Python | TypeScript | | Adopt for | Synthadoc is an open-source compilation engine that turns raw documents into structured wikis locally without using RAG techniques. | surf is an open-source tool for managing personal notes by integrating local or remote AI models to process files and webpages. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | Data & Retrieval, LLM Frameworks | Data & Retrieval, Developer Tools, LLM Frameworks | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [synthadoc](/tools/axoviq-ai-synthadoc.md) | [surf](/tools/deta-surf.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Active (82%) | | Days since push | 0d | 26d | | Open issues (now) | 6 | 32 | | Stars delta | +256 (30d) | +50 (30d) | | Open issues delta | -1 (30d) | 0 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/axoviq-ai-synthadoc/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/deta-surf/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: synthadoc - **Adopt for:** Synthadoc is an open-source compilation engine that turns raw documents into structured wikis locally without using RAG techniques. ## Decision facts: surf - **Adopt for:** surf is an open-source tool for managing personal notes by integrating local or remote AI models to process files and webpages. ## Choose when ### 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. ### 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 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 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 ## 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](/tools/axoviq-ai-synthadoc/alternatives) and [surf alternatives](/tools/deta-surf/alternatives) ([synthadoc markdown twin](/tools/axoviq-ai-synthadoc/alternatives.md), [surf markdown twin](/tools/deta-surf/alternatives.md)), 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](/compare/axoviq-ai-synthadoc-vs-deta-surf.md) 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](/tools/axoviq-ai-synthadoc/trust); [surf trust report](/tools/deta-surf/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=axoviq-ai-synthadoc`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=axoviq-ai-synthadoc) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_