Comparison
surf vs synto
Verdict
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; pick synto if synto is an AI-powered markdown note management system for Obsidian users who prioritize local-first operations and personal knowledge management with zero online data sharing.
Markdown twin · surf alternatives · synto alternatives
GraphCanon updated Aug 13, 2026
17views this month
Trust & integrity
| Signal | surf | synto |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (2d since push) As of Aug 12, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Very active (5d since push) As of Aug 13, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of Aug 12, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Personal account As of Aug 13, 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
- surf
- Tools for organizing files and webpages locally to generate notes using personal AI notebooks.
- synto
- Local AI-powered markdown note management system for Obsidian
Stars
- surf
- 3.5k
- synto
- 230
Forks
- surf
- 251
- synto
- 24
Open issues
- surf
- 32
- synto
- 10
Language
- surf
- TypeScript
- synto
- Python
Adopt for
- surf
- surf is an open-source tool for managing personal notes by integrating local or remote AI models to process files and webpages.
- synto
- Synto is an AI-powered markdown note management system for Obsidian users who prioritize local-first operations and personal knowledge management with zero online data sharing.
Persona
- surf
- -
- synto
- -
Runtime
- surf
- -
- synto
- -
License
- surf
- Apache-2.0
- synto
- MIT
Last pushed
- surf
- Aug 10, 2026
- synto
- Aug 8, 2026
Categories
- surf
- Data & Retrieval, Developer Tools, LLM Frameworks
- synto
- Developer Tools, LLM Frameworks
Trust and health
Days since push
- surf
- 2d
- synto
- 5d
Open issues (now)
- surf
- 32
- synto
- 10
Owner type
- surf
- Organization
- synto
- User
Full report
- surf
- Trust report
- synto
- Trust report
Choose surf if…
- surf is primarily TypeScript; synto is Python.
- License: surf is Apache-2.0, synto is MIT.
- Tags unique to surf: claude, deepseek, gemma, local-llm.
- Also covers Data & Retrieval.
- 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
Choose synto if…
- synto is primarily Python; surf is TypeScript.
- License: synto is MIT, surf is Apache-2.0.
- Requirements: Min 2 GB RAM.
- Tags unique to synto: git-based-wiki, llm-knowledge-base, llm-tools, local-first-ai.
- When you prefer to keep all your personal notes and insights strictly on your device without any cloud involvement.
When NOT to use synto
- When you need cloud-based backup or sharing features across devices that support collaborative editing off-site.
- If your workflow requires real-time synchronization and collaboration capabilities beyond a single device environment.
- For teams looking to integrate their Obsidian wikis with external knowledge bases, as Synto focuses solely on local data.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (deta/surf) · observed Aug 12, 2026
- GitHub forks (deta/surf) · observed Aug 12, 2026
- Last push (deta/surf) · observed Aug 10, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Aug 12, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 17, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- GitHub stars (kytmanov/synto) · observed Aug 13, 2026
- GitHub forks (kytmanov/synto) · observed Aug 13, 2026
- Last push (kytmanov/synto) · observed Aug 8, 2026
- License file (MIT) · observed Aug 13, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 17, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: surf 3.5k · synto 230 (synced Aug 12, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between surf and synto?
- surf: Tools for organizing files and webpages locally to generate notes using personal AI notebooks.. synto: Local AI-powered markdown note management system for Obsidian. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose surf over synto?
- Choose surf over synto when surf is primarily TypeScript; synto is Python; License: surf is Apache-2.0, synto is MIT; Tags unique to surf: claude, deepseek, gemma, local-llm; Also covers Data & Retrieval; Need a robust integration with both local and remote language models for comprehensive note creation.
- When should I choose synto over surf?
- Choose synto over surf when synto is primarily Python; surf is TypeScript; License: synto is MIT, surf is Apache-2.0; Requirements: Min 2 GB RAM; Tags unique to synto: git-based-wiki, llm-knowledge-base, llm-tools, local-first-ai; When you prefer to keep all your personal notes and insights strictly on your device without any cloud involvement.
- 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
- When should I avoid synto?
- When you need cloud-based backup or sharing features across devices that support collaborative editing off-site. If your workflow requires real-time synchronization and collaboration capabilities beyond a single device environment. For teams looking to integrate their Obsidian wikis with external knowledge bases, as Synto focuses solely on local data.
- Is surf or synto more popular on GitHub?
- surf has more GitHub stars (3,522 vs 230). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are surf and synto open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (surf: Apache-2.0, synto: MIT).
- Where can I find alternatives to surf or synto?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at surf alternatives and synto alternatives (surf markdown twin, synto 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, surf or synto?
- surf: Very active. synto: 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 surf and synto?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: surf trust report; synto trust report.