--- title: "obsidian-mcp-server vs surf" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/cyanheads-obsidian-mcp-server-vs-deta-surf" tools: ["cyanheads-obsidian-mcp-server", "deta-surf"] --- # obsidian-mcp-server vs surf *GraphCanon updated Aug 12, 2026* ## Verdict Pick obsidian-mcp-server if the obsidian-mcp-server is a specialized utility for interacting with Obsidian vaults using the Model Context Protocol over STDIO or Streamable HTTP; 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. [obsidian-mcp-server](https://www.npmjs.com/package/obsidian-mcp-server) reports 642 GitHub stars, 99 forks, and 25 open issues, last pushed Jun 30, 2026. [surf](https://deta.surf) has 3.5k stars, 251 forks, and 32 open issues, last pushed Aug 10, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [obsidian-mcp-server's repository](https://github.com/cyanheads/obsidian-mcp-server) and [surf's repository](https://github.com/deta/surf). | | [obsidian-mcp-server](/tools/cyanheads-obsidian-mcp-server.md) | [surf](/tools/deta-surf.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | A tool for manipulating and interacting with Obsidian vaults through Model Context Protocol. | Tools for organizing files and webpages locally to generate notes using personal AI notebooks. | | Stars | 642 | 3,522 | | Forks | 99 | 251 | | Open issues | 25 | 32 | | Language | TypeScript | TypeScript | | Adopt for | The obsidian-mcp-server is a specialized utility for interacting with Obsidian vaults using the Model Context Protocol over STDIO or Streamable HTTP. | 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 | The Apache-2.0 license applies to obsidian-mcp-server, allowing free use, modification, and distribution under certain conditions. | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | Data & Retrieval, Developer Tools | Data & Retrieval, Developer Tools, LLM Frameworks | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [obsidian-mcp-server](/tools/cyanheads-obsidian-mcp-server.md) | [surf](/tools/deta-surf.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Active (82%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 27d | 2d | | Open issues (now) | 25 | 32 | | Owner type | User | Organization | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/cyanheads-obsidian-mcp-server/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/deta-surf/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: obsidian-mcp-server - **Pricing:** freemium - Freely accessible and distributable with commercial usage allowed. - **Requirements:** The software requires a running Obsidian vault, basic knowledge of TypeScript, and an understanding of Model Context Protocol for effective use. - **Adopt for:** The obsidian-mcp-server is a specialized utility for interacting with Obsidian vaults using the Model Context Protocol over STDIO or Streamable HTTP. - **License detail:** The Apache-2.0 license applies to obsidian-mcp-server, allowing free use, modification, and distribution under certain conditions. ## 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 obsidian-mcp-server if… - Pricing: Freely accessible and distributable with commercial usage allowed.. - Requirements: The software requires a running Obsidian vault, basic knowledge of TypeScript, and an understanding of Model Context Protocol for effective use.. - Tags unique to obsidian-mcp-server: ai-tools, cyanheads, mcp, model-context-protocol. - obsidian-mcp-server ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - When requiring precise manipulation of content, tags, and metadata within an Obsidian knowledge base through automated scripts or third-party applications that support the Model Context Protocol. ### Choose surf if… - Tags unique to surf: claude, deepseek, gemma, local-llm. - Also covers LLM Frameworks. - Need a robust integration with both local and remote language models for comprehensive note creation ## When NOT to use obsidian-mcp-server - When working with non-Obsidian knowledge bases as this tool is specifically designed for manipulating content within an Obsidian vault framework. - If your project does not require the Model Context Protocol for communication, as this introduces a specific layer of protocol handling that may be unnecessary overhead. ## 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 obsidian-mcp-server and surf? obsidian-mcp-server: A tool for manipulating and interacting with Obsidian vaults through Model Context Protocol.. 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 obsidian-mcp-server over surf? Choose obsidian-mcp-server over surf when Pricing: Freely accessible and distributable with commercial usage allowed.; Requirements: The software requires a running Obsidian vault, basic knowledge of TypeScript, and an understanding of Model Context Protocol for effective use.; Tags unique to obsidian-mcp-server: ai-tools, cyanheads, mcp, model-context-protocol; obsidian-mcp-server ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When requiring precise manipulation of content, tags, and metadata within an Obsidian knowledge base through automated scripts or third-party applications that support the Model Context Protocol. ### When should I choose surf over obsidian-mcp-server? Choose surf over obsidian-mcp-server when Tags unique to surf: claude, deepseek, gemma, local-llm; Also covers LLM Frameworks; Need a robust integration with both local and remote language models for comprehensive note creation. ### When should I avoid obsidian-mcp-server? When working with non-Obsidian knowledge bases as this tool is specifically designed for manipulating content within an Obsidian vault framework. If your project does not require the Model Context Protocol for communication, as this introduces a specific layer of protocol handling that may be unnecessary overhead. ### 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 obsidian-mcp-server or surf more popular on GitHub? surf has more GitHub stars (3,522 vs 642). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are obsidian-mcp-server and surf open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (obsidian-mcp-server: Apache-2.0, surf: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to obsidian-mcp-server or surf? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [obsidian-mcp-server alternatives](/tools/cyanheads-obsidian-mcp-server/alternatives) and [surf alternatives](/tools/deta-surf/alternatives) ([obsidian-mcp-server markdown twin](/tools/cyanheads-obsidian-mcp-server/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/cyanheads-obsidian-mcp-server-vs-deta-surf.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, obsidian-mcp-server or surf? obsidian-mcp-server: 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 obsidian-mcp-server and surf? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [obsidian-mcp-server trust report](/tools/cyanheads-obsidian-mcp-server/trust); [surf trust report](/tools/deta-surf/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=cyanheads-obsidian-mcp-server`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=cyanheads-obsidian-mcp-server) - 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/_