--- title: "surf vs synto" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/deta-surf-vs-kytmanov-synto" tools: ["deta-surf", "kytmanov-synto"] --- # surf vs synto *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## 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. [surf](https://deta.surf) reports 3.6k GitHub stars, 251 forks, and 32 open issues, last pushed Aug 24, 2026. [synto](https://github.com/kytmanov/synto) has 255 stars, 25 forks, and 10 open issues, last pushed Sep 2, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [surf's repository](https://github.com/deta/surf) and [synto's repository](https://github.com/kytmanov/synto). | | [surf](/tools/deta-surf.md) | [synto](/tools/kytmanov-synto.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Tools for organizing files and webpages locally to generate notes using personal AI notebooks. | Local AI-powered markdown note management system for Obsidian | | Stars | 3,572 | 255 | | Forks | 251 | 25 | | Open issues | 32 | 10 | | Language | TypeScript | Python | | Adopt for | surf is an open-source tool for managing personal notes by integrating local or remote AI models to process files and webpages. | 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 | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Apache-2.0 | MIT | | Categories | Data & Retrieval, Developer Tools, LLM Frameworks | Developer Tools, LLM Frameworks | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [surf](/tools/deta-surf.md) | [synto](/tools/kytmanov-synto.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 26d | 17d | | Open issues (now) | 32 | 10 | | Stars delta | +50 (30d) | +25 (30d) | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/deta-surf/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/kytmanov-synto/trust.md) | ## 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. ## Decision facts: synto - **Pricing:** freemium - **Requirements:** Min 2 GB RAM - **Adopt for:** 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. - **License detail:** MIT ## Choose when ### 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 ### 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 surf - Prefer using proprietary, closed-source tools that do not allow open model choices - Require extensive cloud-based collaboration features among multiple users ## 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. ## 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 (3,572 vs 255). 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](/tools/deta-surf/alternatives) and [synto alternatives](/tools/kytmanov-synto/alternatives) ([surf markdown twin](/tools/deta-surf/alternatives.md), [synto markdown twin](/tools/kytmanov-synto/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/deta-surf-vs-kytmanov-synto.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, surf or synto? surf: Active. synto: 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](/tools/deta-surf/trust); [synto trust report](/tools/kytmanov-synto/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=deta-surf`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=deta-surf) - 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/_