Comparison
surf vs anything-llm
Verdict
Pick surf if surf is an AI agent that automates interaction within E2B's virtual desktop environment via natural language commands; pick anything-llm if anything-llm is a self-hosted AI agent platform that supports multiple deployment methods, including Docker and cloud services, making it suitable for users who prefer local control over their AI workflows.
Markdown twin · surf alternatives · anything-llm alternatives
GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026
vs
Trust & integrity
| Signal | surf | anything-llm |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Active (10d since push) As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Very active (0d 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 · Organization account As of Sep 18, 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 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 |
Tagline
- surf
- AI agent powered by OpenAI for interacting with E2B's virtual desktop environment via natural language
- anything-llm
- Self-hosted AI agent experience
Stars
- surf
- 870
- anything-llm
- 66k
Forks
- surf
- 143
- anything-llm
- 7.3k
Open issues
- surf
- 8
- anything-llm
- 315
Language
- surf
- TypeScript
- anything-llm
- JavaScript
Adopt for
- surf
- Surf is an AI agent that automates interaction within E2B's virtual desktop environment via natural language commands.
- anything-llm
- anything-llm is a self-hosted AI agent platform that supports multiple deployment methods, including Docker and cloud services, making it suitable for users who prefer local control over their AI workflows.
Persona
- surf
- -
- anything-llm
- -
Runtime
- surf
- -
- anything-llm
- -
License
- surf
- Apache-2.0, providing free use, modification, and distribution with conditions that ensure legal use and attribution.
- anything-llm
- MIT License, allowing for free use, modification, and distribution.
Last pushed
- surf
- Sep 9, 2026
- anything-llm
- Sep 17, 2026
Categories
- surf
- AI Agents, Developer Tools
- anything-llm
- AI Agents, Developer Tools, Inference & Serving
Trust and health
Maintenance
- surf
- Active (82%)
- anything-llm
- Very active (96%)
Days since push
- surf
- 10d
- anything-llm
- 0d
Open issues (now)
- surf
- 8
- anything-llm
- 315
Stars delta
- surf
- +27 (30d)
- anything-llm
- +1.5k (30d)
Open issues delta
- surf
- 0 (30d)
- anything-llm
- -4 (30d)
Full report
- surf
- Trust report
- anything-llm
- Trust report
Choose surf if…
- surf is primarily TypeScript; anything-llm is JavaScript.
- License: surf is Apache-2.0, anything-llm is MIT.
- Pricing: Free for usage under the Apache license; premium features or services may incur additional fees depending on OpenAI's and E2B’s policies..
- Tags unique to surf: ai, automation, cua, desktop.
- When you need to interact with E2B’s specific virtual desktop environment and require seamless natural language understanding capabilities from OpenAI.
When NOT to use surf
- Avoid using Surf if your projects do not involve E2B’s virtual desktop environment or if you require integration with other specific virtual desktop software unsupported by this tool.
- Do not opt for Surf if you need direct control over the execution of tasks and prefer manual interaction rather than relying on AI to interpret commands.
Choose anything-llm if…
- anything-llm is primarily JavaScript; surf is TypeScript.
- License: anything-llm is MIT, surf is Apache-2.0.
- Pricing: Free to use under the MIT License, but users may incur costs based on their chosen deployment method and infrastructure..
- Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Requires a local environment setup or a cloud service account for deployment..
- Tags unique to anything-llm: agent-computer, agent-harness, agent-orchestration, agentic-ai.
- Also covers Inference & Serving.
- When you need a local-first AI agent experience that you can fully control and customize.
When NOT to use anything-llm
- If you require a cloud-based solution with minimal setup and maintenance, as anything-llm requires self-hosting and local management.
- When you need a platform that does not offer extensive deployment flexibility, as anything-llm provides multiple deployment options which might be overwhelming for users seeking simplicity.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (e2b-dev/surf) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (e2b-dev/surf) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Last push (e2b-dev/surf) · observed Sep 9, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 17, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- GitHub stars (Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Last push (Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm) · observed Sep 17, 2026
- License file (MIT) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Sep 18, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Sep 18, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: surf 870 · anything-llm 66k (synced Sep 20, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between surf and anything-llm?
- surf: AI agent powered by OpenAI for interacting with E2B's virtual desktop environment via natural language. anything-llm: Self-hosted AI agent experience. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose surf over anything-llm?
- Choose surf over anything-llm when surf is primarily TypeScript; anything-llm is JavaScript; License: surf is Apache-2.0, anything-llm is MIT; Pricing: Free for usage under the Apache license; premium features or services may incur additional fees depending on OpenAI's and E2B’s policies.; Tags unique to surf: ai, automation, cua, desktop; When you need to interact with E2B’s specific virtual desktop environment and require seamless natural language understanding capabilities from OpenAI.
- When should I choose anything-llm over surf?
- Choose anything-llm over surf when anything-llm is primarily JavaScript; surf is TypeScript; License: anything-llm is MIT, surf is Apache-2.0; Pricing: Free to use under the MIT License, but users may incur costs based on their chosen deployment method and infrastructure.; Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Requires a local environment setup or a cloud service account for deployment.; Tags unique to anything-llm: agent-computer, agent-harness, agent-orchestration, agentic-ai; Also covers Inference & Serving; When you need a local-first AI agent experience that you can fully control and customize.
- When should I avoid surf?
- Avoid using Surf if your projects do not involve E2B’s virtual desktop environment or if you require integration with other specific virtual desktop software unsupported by this tool. Do not opt for Surf if you need direct control over the execution of tasks and prefer manual interaction rather than relying on AI to interpret commands.
- When should I avoid anything-llm?
- If you require a cloud-based solution with minimal setup and maintenance, as anything-llm requires self-hosting and local management. When you need a platform that does not offer extensive deployment flexibility, as anything-llm provides multiple deployment options which might be overwhelming for users seeking simplicity.
- Is surf or anything-llm more popular on GitHub?
- anything-llm has more GitHub stars (66,167 vs 870). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are surf and anything-llm open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (surf: Apache-2.0, anything-llm: MIT).
- Where can I find alternatives to surf or anything-llm?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at surf alternatives and anything-llm alternatives (surf markdown twin, anything-llm 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 anything-llm?
- surf: Active. anything-llm: 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 anything-llm?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: surf trust report; anything-llm trust report.