Comparison
surf vs docs
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 docs if docs is a lightweight document management system that offers comprehensive functionalities including OCR and media conversion tools, accessible via Docker.
Markdown twin · surf alternatives · docs alternatives
GraphCanon updated Sep 16, 2026
15views this month
Trust & integrity
| Signal | surf | docs |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (2d since push) As of Aug 12, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Active (29d since push) As of Sep 16, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of Aug 12, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Organization account As of Sep 16, 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.
- docs
- Lightweight document management system
Stars
- surf
- 3.5k
- docs
- 2.6k
Forks
- surf
- 251
- docs
- 686
Open issues
- surf
- 32
- docs
- 113
Language
- surf
- TypeScript
- docs
- JavaScript
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.
- docs
- docs is a lightweight document management system that offers comprehensive functionalities including OCR and media conversion tools, accessible via Docker.
Persona
- surf
- -
- docs
- -
Runtime
- surf
- -
- docs
- -
License
- surf
- Apache-2.0
- docs
- GPL-2.0
Last pushed
- surf
- Aug 10, 2026
- docs
- Aug 17, 2026
Categories
- surf
- Data & Retrieval, Developer Tools, LLM Frameworks
- docs
- Data & Retrieval, Developer Tools
Trust and health
Maintenance
- surf
- Very active (96%)
- docs
- Active (82%)
Days since push
- surf
- 2d
- docs
- 29d
Open issues (now)
- surf
- 32
- docs
- 113
Stars delta
- surf
- Unknown
- docs
- +8 (30d)
Open issues delta
- surf
- Unknown
- docs
- -1 (30d)
Full report
- surf
- Trust report
- docs
- Trust report
Choose surf if…
- surf is primarily TypeScript; docs is JavaScript.
- License: surf is Apache-2.0, docs is GPL-2.0.
- Tags unique to surf: claude, deepseek, gemma, knowledge-base.
- Also covers LLM Frameworks.
- 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 docs if…
- docs is primarily JavaScript; surf is TypeScript.
- License: docs is GPL-2.0, surf is Apache-2.0.
- Requirements: Requires Docker; Requires Java 11, Tesseract 4 for OCR, ffmpeg for video thumbnails, mediainfo for video metadata extraction..
- Tags unique to docs: cloud, dms, docker, document.
- docs ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment.
- Use docs when you require an open-source solution with the capabilities of high-end document management systems but prefer something lightweight.
When NOT to use docs
- Do not use docs in environments where strict security protocols are necessary, as default configurations like the 'admin' password must be changed manually before production.
- Avoid this tool if your document management needs can't tolerate occasional instability during development or when you need a highly reliable and stable environment throughout.
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 (sismics/docs) · observed Sep 16, 2026
- GitHub forks (sismics/docs) · observed Sep 16, 2026
- Last push (sismics/docs) · observed Aug 17, 2026
- License file (GPL-2.0) · observed Sep 16, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 17, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: surf 3.5k · docs 2.6k (synced Aug 12, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between surf and docs?
- surf: Tools for organizing files and webpages locally to generate notes using personal AI notebooks.. docs: Lightweight document management system. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose surf over docs?
- Choose surf over docs when surf is primarily TypeScript; docs is JavaScript; License: surf is Apache-2.0, docs is GPL-2.0; Tags unique to surf: claude, deepseek, gemma, knowledge-base; Also covers LLM Frameworks; Need a robust integration with both local and remote language models for comprehensive note creation.
- When should I choose docs over surf?
- Choose docs over surf when docs is primarily JavaScript; surf is TypeScript; License: docs is GPL-2.0, surf is Apache-2.0; Requirements: Requires Docker; Requires Java 11, Tesseract 4 for OCR, ffmpeg for video thumbnails, mediainfo for video metadata extraction.; Tags unique to docs: cloud, dms, docker, document; docs ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; Use docs when you require an open-source solution with the capabilities of high-end document management systems but prefer something lightweight.
- 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 docs?
- Do not use docs in environments where strict security protocols are necessary, as default configurations like the 'admin' password must be changed manually before production. Avoid this tool if your document management needs can't tolerate occasional instability during development or when you need a highly reliable and stable environment throughout.
- Is surf or docs more popular on GitHub?
- surf has more GitHub stars (3,522 vs 2,565). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are surf and docs open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (surf: Apache-2.0, docs: GPL-2.0).
- Where can I find alternatives to surf or docs?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at surf alternatives and docs alternatives (surf markdown twin, docs 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 docs?
- surf: Very active. docs: 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 docs?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: surf trust report; docs trust report.