head to head · open source
Deta Surf vs database-build
Deta Surf has 3,617 GitHub stars, 252 forks, 32 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. database-build has 2,950 stars, 272 forks, 49 open issues and last shipped 5 months ago. Deta Surf leads on adoption by 23% (3,617 vs 2,950 stars). Deta Surf is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0; database-build is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. Deta Surf has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, database-build 9%. Deta Surf was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (llm), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Deta Surf | database-build | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 3.6K | ★ 3.0K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-08-24 | 2026-06-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 252 | ⑂ 272 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Deta Surf if
- You weight community size — 3.6K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick database-build if
- You want the database-build feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and database-build fits your workflow better
About Deta Surf
Website Discord Deta Surf: Your AI Notebook Deta Surf is an AI notebook that brings all your files and the web directly into your stream of thought. It’s meant for simultaneous research and thinking that minimizes the grunt work: manually searching, opening windows & tabs, scrolling, copying and pasting into a document editor. Surf is primarily built in Svelte, TypeScript and Rust, runs on MacOS, Windows & Linux, stores data locally in open formats, and is open source. Motivation Most applications are focused on a single task, or a single media type: notes, websites, or PDFs. Real thinking requires juggling…
read the full Deta Surf overview →
About database-build
database.build (formerly postgres.new) In browser Postgres sandbox with AI assistance. With database.build, you can instantly spin up an unlimited number of Postgres databases that run directly in your browser (and soon, deploy them to S3). Each database is paired with a large language model (LLM) which opens the door to some interesting use cases: Drag and drop CSV import (generate table on the fly) Generate and export reports Generate charts Build database diagrams How it works All queries in database.build run directly in your browser. There’s no remote Postgres container or WebSocket proxy. How is this…
read the full database-build overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Deta Surf or database-build more popular?
Deta Surf has 3,617 GitHub stars and database-build has 2,950. Deta Surf has the larger community by that measure.
Are Deta Surf and database-build free?
Both are open source. Deta Surf is licensed under Apache-2.0 and database-build under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Deta Surf and database-build?
Deta Surf is written in TypeScript and database-build in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Deta Surf or database-build?
Choose Deta Surf if you want the larger community (3,617 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose database-build if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.