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Comparison

surf vs cortex-memory

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 cortex-memory if cortex-memory is a zero-config VSCode extension, CLI, and MCP server that provides persistent AI memory for coding sessions, auto-capturing decisions and context for tools like Claude Code, Cursor, and Cline.

Markdown twin · surf alternatives · cortex-memory alternatives

GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026

17views this month

surf logo

surf

deta/surf

★ 3.6kpushed Aug 24, 2026
vs
cortex-memory logo

cortex-memory

SKULLFIRE07/cortex-memory

★ 8pushed Mar 25, 2026

Trust & integrity

Signalsurfcortex-memory
Maintenance
Active (26d since push)
As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1
Slowing (176d since push)
As of Sep 18, 2026 · github_public_v1
Provenance
Not a fork · Organization account
As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1
Not a fork · Personal account
As of Sep 18, 2026 · github_public_v1
OSV dependency advisories
No lockfile (source not queried)
As of Jul 15, 2026 · osv@v1
Published findings
As of Sep 18, 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
surf trust reportcortex-memory trust reportTrust methodology

Tagline

surf
Tools for organizing files and webpages locally to generate notes using personal AI notebooks.
cortex-memory
Persistent AI memory for coding sessions, auto-capturing decisions and context.

Stars

surf
3.6k
cortex-memory
8

Forks

surf
251
cortex-memory
2

Open issues

surf
32
cortex-memory
0

Language

surf
TypeScript
cortex-memory
TypeScript

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.
cortex-memory
cortex-memory is a zero-config VSCode extension, CLI, and MCP server that provides persistent AI memory for coding sessions, auto-capturing decisions and context for tools like Claude Code, Cursor, and Cline.

Persona

surf
-
cortex-memory
-

Runtime

surf
-
cortex-memory
-

License

surf
Apache-2.0
cortex-memory
MIT License

Last pushed

surf
Aug 24, 2026
cortex-memory
Mar 25, 2026

Categories

surf
Data & Retrieval, Developer Tools, LLM Frameworks
cortex-memory
Data & Retrieval, Developer Tools

Trust and health

Maintenance

surf
Active (82%)
cortex-memory
Slowing (36%)

Days since push

surf
26d
cortex-memory
176d

Open issues (now)

surf
32
cortex-memory
0

Stars delta

surf
+50 (30d)
cortex-memory
+1 (30d)

Owner type

surf
Organization
cortex-memory
User

OSV dependency advisories

surf
No lockfile (source not queried)
cortex-memory
Published findings

Full report

surf
Trust report
cortex-memory
Trust report

Choose surf if…

  • License: surf is Apache-2.0, cortex-memory is MIT.
  • Tags unique to surf: deepseek, gemma, knowledge-base, 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 surf

  • Prefer using proprietary, closed-source tools that do not allow open model choices
  • Require extensive cloud-based collaboration features among multiple users
GitHubDetails

Choose cortex-memory if…

  • License: cortex-memory is MIT, surf is Apache-2.0.
  • Pricing: The tool is open-source under the MIT License, making it free to use, but additional features or services may come at a cost..
  • Requirements: Min 2 GB RAM; Requires a compatible AI coding assistant like Claude Code, Cursor, or Cline.; Works best with VSCode, but also supports CLI and MCP server..
  • Tags unique to cortex-memory: ai, ai-coding-assistant, ai-memory, claude-code.
  • When you are working with specific AI coding assistants like Claude Code, Cursor, or Cline and need persistent memory across coding sessions.

When NOT to use cortex-memory

  • If you are not using AI coding assistants like Claude Code, Cursor, or Cline, as cortex-memory is specifically designed to work with these tools.
  • When you prefer a tool that does not automatically capture decisions and context, and you want full control over what is stored and retrieved.
  • If you are working in an environment where zero-configuration tools are not suitable, and you require extensive customization options.
GitHubDetails

Explore

surf trust report →cortex-memory trust report →Data & Retrieval category →Developer Tools category →LLM Frameworks category →All comparisonsStack workflowsTrending tools

Sources

Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.

GitHub stars on cards: surf 3.6k · cortex-memory 8 (synced Sep 20, 2026).

Common questions

What is the difference between surf and cortex-memory?
surf: Tools for organizing files and webpages locally to generate notes using personal AI notebooks.. cortex-memory: Persistent AI memory for coding sessions, auto-capturing decisions and context.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
When should I choose surf over cortex-memory?
Choose surf over cortex-memory when License: surf is Apache-2.0, cortex-memory is MIT; Tags unique to surf: deepseek, gemma, knowledge-base, local-llm; Also covers LLM Frameworks; Need a robust integration with both local and remote language models for comprehensive note creation.
When should I choose cortex-memory over surf?
Choose cortex-memory over surf when License: cortex-memory is MIT, surf is Apache-2.0; Pricing: The tool is open-source under the MIT License, making it free to use, but additional features or services may come at a cost.; Requirements: Min 2 GB RAM; Requires a compatible AI coding assistant like Claude Code, Cursor, or Cline.; Works best with VSCode, but also supports CLI and MCP server.; Tags unique to cortex-memory: ai, ai-coding-assistant, ai-memory, claude-code; When you are working with specific AI coding assistants like Claude Code, Cursor, or Cline and need persistent memory across coding sessions.
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 cortex-memory?
If you are not using AI coding assistants like Claude Code, Cursor, or Cline, as cortex-memory is specifically designed to work with these tools. When you prefer a tool that does not automatically capture decisions and context, and you want full control over what is stored and retrieved. If you are working in an environment where zero-configuration tools are not suitable, and you require extensive customization options.
Is surf or cortex-memory more popular on GitHub?
surf has more GitHub stars (3,572 vs 8). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
Are surf and cortex-memory open source?
Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (surf: Apache-2.0, cortex-memory: MIT).
Where can I find alternatives to surf or cortex-memory?
GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at surf alternatives and cortex-memory alternatives (surf markdown twin, cortex-memory 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 cortex-memory?
surf: Active. cortex-memory: Slowing. 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 cortex-memory?
GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: surf trust report; cortex-memory trust report.

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